Would it probably get me tossed out? Sure. Do I want to work for a company with the precedent established that the company can log onto my FB account at its whim for whatever reasons it desires? Nope.

That's my feeling as well.

If this becomes widespread people won't want to use facebook as much. I think is absurd.

One of the reason i stopped using facebook was because too many work colleagues, cleints and people we outsource work added me (rather I accepted their friend request). I liked in the early days, but noe it has lost its shine for me.

agreed spyman

Good idea is to answer that you don't have a facebook account. What can they say to that? (make sure your dp isn't a picture of you)

Even better is to create a fake facebook account with lots of fake attractive friends having good-clean-american-fun-times.

Fortunately fb doesn't always ban multis

Gross invasion of privacy. Could they also ask to see your family photo albums at home? Or maybe come by your house and see how neat you keep your room.

Other than reporting them to the bbb or whoever takes care of this stuff, making an obnoxiously straight second fb profile would be the solution.

@fielder....you know what you have there, don't you? It's called business GOLD....except I think you are a communist and would object to that...

Of course it's an invasion of privacy. Prior to Facebook n employer had any legal access to spy on your life, or ask you to bring in the family photo album and record Grandma's drunken tirade at Thanksgiving. It's absurd.

That being said...if a company asks you for that information, I would thank them and inform them that I would not be interested in working for a company with such a policy and leave the interview. I'm a technical recruiter...and if one of my candidates did taht to a client I'd praise him.

I have pretty much always made it a policy to NOT friends my co-workers....who are not friends...but co-workers. I don't wants to see pictures of them in their wife-beaters swilling (cheap) beer and watching Nascar, instead of the suit and tie I am used to...

Kids of this generation have to understand something: When you put something on the internet, it is now public domain and will NEVER go away.
The amount of nude pictures girls email their bf's and stuff? If that comes up in a google search, you are ruining your future career.

I think 'forcing' people to show their facebook profiles is an invasion of privacy, but I also think that companies should require it if you are going to put the company name on your profile.

Not to mention that most people at work would log on through work computers, so the company would be able to track it all, anyways (anything that goes through the company proxy can be retrieved by the company). So they'll see one way or another.

The moral of the story? Don't put stupid shit on the internet with your name on it.

Eh hemmm..er...actually, if I find some chick's nude photo on the internet...I confess...I might be more apt to hire her...if she's hot. I'm just sayin'...

Now...nude dudes? Your out!

lol i think its funny how we all talk about watching our backs on the internet

and then half of us spill our guts on this site.

imma be real, if my parents ever found my posts on this website, life as i know it when i go home would be over.

but since they watch my facebook i stand by my fb in front of employers.

however i did change my twitter username from my real name so as to give myself more freedom to be immature

Well, while this is "anonymous" it gives us some freedom of expression. Of course a real in depth investigation could reveal who we are....but since most HR people can barely turn on their computers, let alone do a real investigation, I feel pretty safe expressing myself here. That's why they want the easy-out...Uh...."Give me your FB password....duhhhhh....."

The thing that bothers me with employers looking at facebook during an interview is all those question they're not allowed to ask well they just did. Easy enough to get all the information about that stuff through facebook.

If I wanted the job more than they wanted me, I'd make a fake FB account.

If they wanted me more than I wanted them, I'd tell them flat-out "no".

This too shall pass...Again, I'm in staffing. We have *never8 had a canddiate asked about their Facebook...and certainly not for their password. Any moron that would hand out their password is...well...I wouldn't hire you if you gave me your password, because you are a moron. But more important...this is no doubt one of those media hype stories that bears very little resemblance to reality. It's like whenyou hear the story of a company that says if you don't quit smoking (on your own time...at home...) they will fire you. It's happened, it stood up in court...it was like one or two companies...but it was all over the media and you would have thought everyone was doing it by the hysteria.

Same thing here. Do not fear...and do not work for such an unethical company anyway. When you interview, YOU are interviewing the company as well -- if you don't like the way a company behaves, DON'T WORK FOR THEM. they lose enough quality candidates due to their stupidity, they'll stop doing it.

OK, this is interesting.

Giving out your PW is in strict violation of the FB EULA. I'm sure something can be done from that.

The example in the article does make sense though, they do have a valid excuse. It is after all a state department with security concerns, not just a company digging up dirt. That doesn't make it right, but I can understand it. And yes, anyone thinking "My Facebook account is my private place" is incredibly naïve.

So, I think I'd change my answer to:

I'm sorry, but it's against the EULA to give you my pw. If you want, I will terminate my FB account in lieu of showing you the content.

Wonder what they'd say to that.

If it's a government organization that needs to see what you're doing on Facebook for security reasons, they don't need to ask you about it and likely already have the information. I'd say no, period.

Not that there's anything questionable on my facebook, just relics of being hardcore into Mafia Wars for about a year.

Disagree - don't care if it's State Department or the local grocery store. Unless, prior to Facebook, they had equivalent access to parallel material (i.e. photo albums, famly movies, conversations with friends, etc.) then it would be legitimate. There is no legal precedence for them to ask for this same information simply because it stored on a more widely accessible medium. And, if you are getting security clearance....then they are sophisticated enough to do the background check without your assistance once you give them your signature telling them it's OK to do it...

I'd say no too, and I'm not saying that it's right. I understand that the pressure felt during a job interview makes it hard to say no, and this discrepancy of power hurts the freedom of choice. But I do see a degree of difference when there's a legitimate concern. You have a point though krellin. The Internet is a new and undefined legal territory, making abuse easier.

If they needed it, they could get it without asking, which is what I'm saying.

...oh god, what if they COULD see posts on webDip and trace them back?!

Let's face it PE your campaign for President 2032 is jinxed thanks to webdip

Thank god no one knows your real name, eh, Simon?

Simon? Simon Cassel? Yeah, I know him. What about it?