Should employees be allowed to look at facebook, twitter, etc?

[Rita]

I was talking in my business class about companies looking at your facebook and twitter to see who they really are hiring. Personally, I don't think its a big deal especially if you don't put anything too extreme or that if you do you know how to use privacy settings. But my problem would be if they asked for my username and password, where it crosses the line such as my personal messages. Granted my post are public, but messages are where I vent to my best friend or if I'm going through a divorce or medical problem that I'm talking to a friend about, things I don't think are needed information that my boss needs to know. I compare this to my boss asking to see my text messages which are also (in some case) just as easy to see with a username and password online also. I wanted to see what other people think about this issue with hiring..so what do you think???

[john]

no

[wyliesmom]

Once someone puts information about themselves out there for all to see, that is exactly what will happen. Employers have the same rights as everyone else. If you don't like them doing so, be more careful about what you allow people to see.

[Fred F]

You forgot to mention your phone calls . It is possible they could tap into them also.

[C C]

It is weird this notion of hiring companies asking for passwords. They escalated it right to wanting into your private home and into your intimate space. That is invasive.

I was always confused why the idea was never just a friend-request so that they can visit as an invited guest and then you could still restrict some areas. After all, when you interview, they don't hook you up to lie detectors and psychics to "ensure" they know the deep parts of your psyche. After all, using the common opinion (that I read above here) "if you're willing to go into public, then all your psyche should be open for all to see. If you don't like it, never go in public." Dumb, right?

Anyway, I have a FB account I haven't been active in for 5 years and my picture is of a dog who died 6 years ago. I wouldn't be lying if I said I don't use FB.

[Franco]

Hello

If you don't want other people to know about your private life, then don't post anything regarding your private life on the Internet. You might think the privacy settings will keep your information private, but what you probably don't realize is that you are using someone else's website, so this means you don't have 100% control over your account. I don't think your personal accounts are relavant to the company, so a company's main priority should not be to look inside your personal accounts. The company can ask to see what's inside your accounts, but you should have every right to refuse.

"But my problem would be if they asked for my username and password, where it crosses the line such as my personal messages."

It's your choice if you want the company to see what's inside your accounts. If you want, you can show the company what's inside your accounts, but what you should never do is give them your private accounts username, and password.