Can employers or possible employers view my facebook page even though it's private?

[Shalaidah]

I have had an email back from an application I made last month but they have asked for an up to date photo and a link to my facebook page. Can new employers view my page even though it's set to private and locked down? My bf is in the military and this is why my facebook is set to private with limited friend's. Should I send them a link or not?
This is what I thought and have checked the Terms of Agreement page on facebook. Anyway, I have replied to their 2nd stage email and have just sent a photo of myself. I explained that even though I have a facebook page, that I will not be sending them a link to my page as I have reason's as to why my page is private in the first place and have sent them links to facebook's Terms of Agreement page and an article that was posted online (facebook cracking down on employer's trying to hack personal pages). If it costs me the job then so be it!!

Thanks all for your responses!!

[Belinda]

No hunni. Its none of their business. Its absolutely ridiculous.. I say tell them you don't have one..

[Hagen]

Find out yourself by signing out of Facebook and then seeing if there's any way you can get in.
If they insist on a link to your Facebook, make a new account for yourself that's very tame and innocent and let them see that instead.

[Connor]

If you have it set to private, they can only see your name. If they have an employee who is friends with you they can go through them. DO NOT say you do not have one as they simply type your name in on Facebook and then they will not hire you because you lied to them.

[WatsonN]

Don't tell them you don't have one, they WILL search to double check. You may want to create a second account and update that one with work safe posts, no party pics or statuses.

[TheBooth]

If you have a facebook account that you use as your own personal account then dont share it with work...why? because anything you post or say will be judge and possibly could get you fired or in trouble at work even though it had little to nothing to do with work.

Never include where you work on facebook...this also could cause concern for your employer.
Never include a picture of your house or street signs or the exact town you live in especially if it's a small town.

Never, post when your away from home or that your at this event or that event.

Never post your current GPS location. People will look at that and realize your not home and rob you.

If your employer wants access to your facebook, and they wont take no for a answer....Start a second facebook page, turn off all the features and run it like a dummy page. Give that page info to your work and they get your facebook page ( the dummy one) and you can still have yoru privacy with your real facebook page which they dont have access to.

[Iratechildren867]

No. If they could then it wouldn't be private would it? I mean just think what privacy really means.

[BILL]

Some employers may ask for your facebook password. Congress and state legislatures are considering laws to prohibit employers requiring this information.