Private information is not really private? Really?!

I think that businesses requesting personal info like that is way too much. Your right about the personal/private lives thing. There is a line. I have also known that there is the expectation by companies to keep the two separate and then now they want to mesh them? Doesn't make much sense to me and I think it does violate people's privacy.

My personal life is just that, my personal life. That is the reason that I keep everything on my facebook account private unless people are friends with me. I don't have many enemies in this world, but I do have a few and I really don't want those people to know too much about me. You see, on facebook, I do post some pictures of my children and I do post about things that are bothering me in my life. I don't think that I've ever posted anything that is incriminating, but then again, I really don't know what a potential employer might be looking for. However, there are no circumstances under which I would ever give an employer, either current or potential my facebook login information because that is a complete and total breach of my privacy. In fact, my husband doesn't even know all of my facebook login information.

I have followed this discussion and I must say I am totally astonished. I would not have thought that in America an employer would have the right to ask for such information and I certainly think the prospective employee should refuse to give out details of their activity on social networks. Where I live in Canada the laws are quite clear.In an interview an employer may not ask your age, race, religion, marital status or number of children, the grades of your diploma or other credentials only the proof that you actually have a High School Diploma,BA, MA, etc. etc. Of course once you are hired certain details such as your birthdate and exemptions for tax purposes must be supplied to the human resources dept. There is usually a question on social or volunteer activities in the interview but if you don't want to divulge such activities as being on facebook, myspace or forums that is up to you and a smart person would not mention such private matters. One of my nieces works in Germany and I was quite shocked to observe the application process there. Not only did she have to supply her resume and cover letter but also her age, a photo of herself and the last transcripts of her grades from University. Unreal! This was not a girlie girlie job either. I guess we must be ever vigilant and protect our privacy.

It's not rumors. It's real. Why else would senators start preparing a law to make it illegal.

You have your own reason, and I 100% agree with your discussion above. I would not mix my personal life with my professional life, and I hope people would respect me the same. Also, those employers also should do the same to their employees. People like to have their own privacy, and not like intruder to break it.

I think this is insane... Whats next the employers are going to ask you for your bank card PIN number too, just to see whats in your bank account?!? ''Oh here ya go sir, have my bank card. Oh, but don't take my cash please...'' LMAO. Giving your facebook name and password is a HUGE violation of privacy. Some people have their entire life on there... I honestly think this is utter bullsh**... There's no need for an employer to gain your info. Its stupid!

I thought the Day that Employers were allowed to check Credit Ratings and use them to decide an Applicants Employablity, Rights of Privacy to me became a Joke. However, there has to be an Understanding that anything you do online is subject to Invasion and is a PERMANENT Record and perhaps it should be used more carefully and if you don't post Things that can be used against you it is less likely to trouble you. My Solution to the Problem is to not use Facebook.

Well unfortunately, people make their private information the business of their employers. Say for example you run a delivery service. And a customer asks you for a dedicated run. However, you have other customers in the same area. So you tell your employee to run the dedicated run, but also deliver these other packages to the same area. You are still providing the dedicated run, but also making more money for you and the employee by also delivering other packages. The employee posts his facebook that he has a very profitable run, delivering to one location, multiple packages. The customer sees this on facebook, and cancels the contract, demands a refund, and opens a lawsuit. You didn't do anything wrong. The employee really didn't do anything wrong. But loose lips sink ships. The information got out and caused you a problem. Here's another example. Say you have a vendor that you buy stuff from. The vendor and you, cut a deal to get goods at 15% off. An employee posts this on facebook, and other customers see it. They go to the vendor and demand the same 15% off. The vendor cancels your deal, and perhaps even refuses to sell to you. Again, you did nothing wrong, the vendor did nothing wrong, nor did the employee. But loose lips sink ships, and suddenly his remarks of facebook caused you a problem. Finally, sometimes the employee is just bad. They go on facebook and spout how horrible a person you are, and drag the name of your company through the mud. Or the employee is just a jerk, and is a jerk on facebook, while having you listed as his employer. That jerk of an employee now reflects on you. The conclusion is, you are right. What people say and do in their private lives *should not be* a concern of the employer. But the reality is, people *MAKE IT* a concern of the employer by what they post and say, and how they act in their private lives. Should facebook information be a requirement for employment? Well it's their company. THEIR COMPANY. Not my company, or yours. They have the right (in my opinion) to require anything they want. They can demand your credit history. They can demand your criminal background. They can demand many things. Why not this? Look, none of us has a *right* to a job. We have the right to *pursue* a job. If pursuing a job means letting them look at your facebook account, then that is what it is. You have the right to decline, and pursue something else. That's how it works. You want to be hired and get a check, then you have to follow the rules of the one you want to be hired by. If your son or daughter wants to get their allowance, then they have to follow the rules you impose for getting that allowance. Clean your room. Wash the dishes. Or whatever. Same difference.

What I'm wondering about is all the millions of us who don't belong to Sheep sites and don't go around airing our laundry in public in the first place? I wouldn't join Farcebook if you paid me, and I'm hard up for dosh, but never in a gazillion years would I give that lot all my information to sell to whomever they want to sell it to. Did you know they pay people a dollar an hour to go through the site and look for anything that should be deleted? Do you know they don't vet the people they hire? Farcebook is more dangerous than any employer who has your information, because at least you know an employer isn't going to sell all of your information to the highest bidder, whenever they want to.

When it comes to social media, people forget one thing. Its SOCIAL MEDIA, meaning it’s public for everyone to see unless you set the limits. I believe that everyone should be held responsible and be accountable for their actions when posting sensitive or detrimental information online for the public (i.e.: your current or future boss) to see. Social media is something taking for granted. I do agree wholeheartedly that your personal doesn’t belong on the lips of your professional boss, Furthermore, there is absolutely no need for your employer to demand with reprimand your personal information to the site.