MT: US city demands web log-ins from job seekers [Big Government at work]

The Register ^ | 2009-06-17 | Cade Metz

[rabscuttle385]

If you apply for a job with City of Bozeman - a mid-sized burg halfway across these US - you're forced to surrender usernames and passwords for every account you've set up with websites of the "social networking" variety.

According to the City, that includes everything from Facebook and MySpace to YouTube to, well, Yahoo! and Google.

"Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.," reads a waiver form that allows the City to investigate a job applicant's "background, references, character, past employment, education, credit history, criminal or police records."

Then it asks for usernames and passwords.

[IYAS9YAS]

It goes to show that all gubmint is bad - even in “free” Montana.

Check out the last two presidential election (2004 and 2008) results for MT, the state came closer to blue than one would have thought.

[JRandomFreeper]

Never post are say anything you would not want your/wife/mom/girl friend/ etc to see on the web.

As I told a friend in the 'real world'.... I've been in so much trouble, for so long.... I just don't care anymore.

Water, meet duck's back.

I'm going to be in trouble. I got over it.

If I promise to be PC, I'm lying.

/johnny

[org.whodat]

It's not an invasion of privacy, it's a condition of employment.

[GeronL]

Now freaking way I would allow a bureaucrat to go to my site and change content or whatever they plan to do.

[Billthedrill]

This one will last as long as a nitrocellulose butterfly in Hell. We can’t even ask an applicant how old he or she is.

[mquinn]

Yes it is an invasion. There are limitations on what an employer may ask an interviewee, for example. They cannot set whatever conditions they please.

[rabscuttle385]

I’m sure. If you want a more “legitimate” news source, try this one.

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10551414&nav=menu227_3

[green pastures]

A link to another story about this here:

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10551414&nav=menu227_3

[pabianice]

[green pastures]

Oops. Guess you already saw that one...

(ref #28...)

[thulldud]

That's it. The municipal government can set up an institutional account and then ask job seekers to "friend" it or at least send a message to it (which would grant the municipality viewing access for 30 days anyway.)

No way do they need other people's passwords.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I have no problem with them asking for how to find you on those websites. User names makes me a little squeamish. I would probably pass. No way would they get my password. What is to keep someone in their employ from using that info to post some hate speech or pornography while pretending to be you. That is just crazy.

12 posted on June 18, 2009 2:48:17 PM EDT by Truth is a Weapon

Uh, no...I would be in court sooooooooooooo fast!

7 posted on June 18, 2009 2:45:56 PM EDT by LiteKeeper

a friend of mine who works in HR told me that their company has been advised by their legal counsel to not even attempt to look at any applicant’s MySpace or Facebook page. It is supposedly the next tsumani wave of employment litigation that is about to hit the courts.

The Federalist Papers were published under the pseudonym "Publius."

Which illustrates nicely the fact that it is legitimate to publish political commentary anonymously.

Of course if the Mormons had anonymously supported the defense of marriage proposition in CA, they would have saved themselves a lot of grief from gays - and been in violation of the illegitimate "campaign finance reform" laws - which is to say, all "campaign finance reform" laws.

I agree that this is headed for a legal challenge.

[ASOC]

LOL - you are most correct. I applied for work with a FedGov contractor.

They sent me a SF 85 - a very detailed FedGov form asking for everything except your xxxx print.

I replied that I thought the form was a bit intrusive - and likely illegal.

They backed off so fast you could hear their shoes smoking....

And another reson to never take work for the FedGov again - ever.

You have to wonder, how much of this is voyeur activity?

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

usernames=maybe

passwords=Lunacy

[retrokitten]

I could kind of see them asking if you are a member or any of those groups OR making you aware that they will be searching for you.

BUT, demanding your passwords?? That’s ridiculous.

[Myrddin]

You would have to want to job with that city pretty bad to expose yourself like that. No thanks.

[OCCASparky]

Then they're not really going to get a quality (read: HONEST) employee, now are they?

FWIW, I'd like for them to try and tell me, "Well, you're OCCASparky on FR, such and such on this board, and well, we just don't like your opinion."

As the previous poster said, legally they could (and should) have no right to ask for this information unless it is illegal in nature, and even then that's what NCIC checks are for.

[ShadowAce]

Are we sure this isn’t a hoax of some kind??

It's real--Background check release for Bozeman

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Ping.

[Freedom56v2]

I just checked the PDF employment application on Boseman Montana City website. No such information is requested that I saw on the application. I’d be surprised that type of info request would fly in MT....