Happy Monday Scambook users… After all the mayhem from the Walmart gift card scam last week, we are turning our attention over to the possible request of being asked for our login information from employers. That’s a scary thought, right?
But not to worry Facebook chief privacy officer, Erin Egan has said, “the company will take action in order to “protect the privacy and security of [its users], whether by engaging policymakers or, where appropriate, by initiating legal action.”
Fox News had the inside scoop on this:
Job seekers are reporting that they’re being asked to give potential employers their Facebook login and password information. Anna Kooiman reported that critics are comparing this startling trend to someone asking for the keys to your house or reading your personal diary.
Now, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Charles Schumer are calling for an immediate end to employers requesting this access to social media sites. They also asked the Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate further.
Sen. Schumer warned, “Things that we deem private are just that, private. You shouldn’t be required to give up your right to private communications. You shouldn’t be required to give up your private life just to get a job.”
Facebook stated, “We don’t think employers should be asking prospective employees to provide their passwords because we don’t think it’s the right thing to do. While we do not have any immediate plans to take legal action against any specific employers, we look forward to engaging with policy makers and other stakeholders, to help better safeguard the privacy of our users.”
See Also
Facebook Privacy Bug Exposes 6 Million User Phone Numbers, Emails
Dangerous Facebook Trojan Virus Can Empty Your Bank Account
Facebook Hoax Alert: Fake Virus Warning Scares Microsoft Windows Users
I’ve never been asked for my FaceBook (or other) account information, but would be furious if it had happened. As far as I’m concerned, LinkedIn is the only social media account that employers should be seeing. It’s a great tool and ONLY lists professional activities. Privacy?? Not any more…so sad! Just another casualty of the poor economic climate – employers can ask for anything to discriminate against job seekers.