Facebook Passwords, Information Need to Be Kept Private
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NEWS ANALYSIS: U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Richard Blumenthal say asking for social media passwords may be a violation of federal law. For job applicants and employers, this could open a potential legal minefield.
The recent practice of employers and would-be employers requesting Facebook and other social network log-in information is probably a violation of equal employment laws, say two Senators. U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have asked the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the practice of requiring job applicants and employees to provide their social network log-in information as a condition of employment. The senators sent a letter to the EEOC regarding the practice. Schumer and Blumenthal noted that some jobs require comprehensive background checks, but that access to private information on social media sites could give those employers information that they are not permitted to request under federal law, such as race, religion, marital status or pregnancy status along with other protected information.
Wayne Rash is a Senior Analyst for eWEEK Labs and runs the magazine's Washington Bureau. Prior to joining eWEEK as a Senior Writer on wireless technology, he was a Senior Contributing Editor and previously a Senior Analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. He was also a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. Previously, he ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek.He is a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. He is a regular contributor to Plane & Pilot Magazine and The Washington Post.
