Employers Want Passwords

Tariq Hafeez

Those of us who have been through the interview process can agree, it can be nerve racking. However, interviewees today may have it even worse due to an increasingly popular question, “Can you please give us your Facebook password?”

This past week, two U.S. senators asked the Attorney General to investigate whether employers asking for Facebook passwords during interviews are violating federal law. The senators, Chuck Schumer and Richard Blumenthal, are asking the Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to launch investigations into the issue.

The goal of the senators is to find out if this practice violates the Stored Communications Act or the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act; both of which seek to prohibit access to electronic information without authorization.

Corresponding with these queries, senators from various states have proposed bills that would prohibit employers from asking such a question during a job interview.

Recently, Facebook has warned employers of implementing this practice, stating they would seek legal action against applications that violate its long standing policy against password sharing.

"In an age where more and more of our personal information — and our private social interactions — are online, it is vital that all individuals be allowed to determine for themselves what personal information they want to make public and protect personal information from their would-be employers. This is especially important during the job-seeking process, when all the power is on one side of the fence," Senator Schumer said in a statement.

For business advice, including drafting employment and social media policy, contact Tariq Hafeez at (248) 380-0000  ext. 3203.

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