Would You Give Your Facebook Password to an Interviewer?

 How would you feel if you apply for a job, and the interviewer asks you for your Facebook login information? The Associated Press in the article “Job Interviewers Seek Applicants’ Facebook Passwords” talks about how some interviewers surprise applicants by asking for their Facebook passwords. The article gives overview about people’s opinion of the issue. I am against the idea of job interviewers asking applicants’ for their social network, Facebook, login information.

The article points that with the development of the social networking companies tend to look for the availability for employees’ or applicants’ accounts in social network websites to review them. However, “many users, especially on Facebook, have their profiles set to private” (AP). I think that is what makes employers ask for the login information of the applicants. In my opinion, giving them the password is invasion of privacy. Facebook, in particular, is a place where people share family updates or personal news with their family and friends, which are of no importance to the employer. Employers are not family or friends to have the right to keep an eye on employees’ profiles.

Not all companies ask for passwords; some found other ways to view employees’ activities. “Companies that don't ask for passwords have taken other steps -- such as asking applicants to friend human resource managers or to log in to a company computer during an interview (AP)." It would be acceptable if they send a friend request, because in this case the employee can monitor what they can view that is ones’ right. Other companies, such as Sears use a third party application that takes information from the applicant’s or employee’s Facebook page with permission when login in to Sears job sites. I do not mind this act, for it asks for permission. The applicant may and may not accept it.

The reactions of applicants when were asking were not the same. Some refused to give up their login information; others did not have any problem with giving their passwords to job interviewers. One reason that makes applicants give their password even when they do not agree with the idea is that they are in need for the job. Collins response when he was asked about giving his password to interviewer was “I needed my job to feed my family. I had to (AP)”. If I would be asked for my password to any of my social media accounts, I would leave the interview. I do not want a job that would invade my privacy.

The article mentioned that kinds of the materials companies look for when they ask for applicants’ passwords include “inappropriate pictures or relationships with people who are underage, illegal behavior (AP).” I think that companies cannot keep track on every single act an applicant or employee does, for they can hide it. There is a possibility that an applicant does illegal behaviors but does not post them on Face book for the seek of the interview. Therefore, there is no point of asking for applicant’s passwords when they can hide what they do not want their employers to see.

In final consideration, I do not agree with companies asking for employees’ or applicants’ passwords of their social media accounts. There is no difference between companies asking for employee’s private correspondence with his or her family and friends and asking for Facebook password. I think of it like asking for the key to my house. For this reason, I would not accept if anyone asked me for my Facebook password. In fact, I agree with the cities that banned and will ban such as act.