Should employers be allowed to check on social networking sites before hiring you?

[steepanimal985]

Personally, I think it's creepy. Managers expect employees to be professional and not mix business with pleasure. And yet this is really crossing a line. What a person does outside of the work place is their business. I have seen articles about these divorced middle aged guys hiring young employees and then asking their employees to be their friend on Facebook. Some employees that refuse, well guess what, we don't need you anymore. So then the guy is trolling his employees Facebook, sending invites to his employee's girlfriend. I am not making this up, I saw this in a news article. This guy is like 57 years old and is trying to pick up his 22 year old employee's girl friend, as well as other 18-22 year old girls on his employee's Facebook.
It is definitely unethical and may possibly be illegal.
I really don't see what they are "checking" except with the older guys in the office are checking out the young girls, either the female job applicants, their friends, and the girl friends of the male applicants. No need of it and it's creepy.
They have enough information. Your full social security number, drug tests, former employer's references, etc. Checking out to see who your friends are should not be part of the hiring process. It is completely unprofessional and just another way for older men to find young girls.