[Westbrook]

Heh.

The ideological equivalent of a drug test.

[Repeat Offender]

Lucky for me, I don’t have a Facebook page.

[1rudeboy]

There goes my secret predilection for painted women who smell of cigarettes and vodka.

[reegs]

This is clearly overreaching by HR Departments which are usually stacked with power-tripping jerks. Unless a Facebook account is used by employees for business purposes, it’s not a company’s business what their employees are posting on their own time.

[svcw]

To the headline: just say no.

[apillar]

Like I've said before, if this ever becomes the norm, all it's going to accomplish is force everyone to create a “dummy” profile with harmless pictures of kittens and inspirational quotes for the sole purpose of getting through the job interview. Heck, entire books will be written and web sites will be created on how to create the perfect dummy facebook page.

[CodeToad]

It is illegal to ask for such information. Extortion is illegal. The law makes it perfectly clear that private property remains private to an employer. They might as well ask for your bank account PIN or ask for the keys to your house.

[Niteranger68]

Since (I believe) your birth date is part of your Facebook account info, this would be an illegal practice. Not to mention the other information that would be available (kids, religion, etc.).

[Jewbacca]

Becaue my primary employment is military-related, I am forbidden to have a facebook or any similar account.

[puppypusher]

I would tell him that’s private information and it’s not relevant to my job.

[353FMG]

Name of company doing the interviewing?

[HereInTheHeartland]

Deeply disturbing, and alarming it’s done on such a wide level:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46792761/

[Auntie Mame]

My daughter’s prospective employer recently asked her for a copy of last year’s W2. She’s come to find out it’s getting to be standard practice because past employers can no longer give out any info on the ex-employee except the fact that they worked there and the prospective employer has to find out by other means if they are being given accurate information about past performance and earnings.

[montag813]

Why not just manage a sanitized version of your Facebook account, without the drunken bash pics and Obama-as-witch-doctor posts? This will likely also spell the end for Facebook as a place of open and honest exposure to family and friends.

[cymbeline]

I’d tell the inquisitive employer that my private profile contained information about other potential employers that would be unethical to share.

[kevkrom]

I would pointedly refuse, noting that I’m not in the habit of violating password security regardless of the supposed “authority” behind a request, and that I sincerely hope this was a test of my ability to avoid a social engineering attack.

[montag813]

It’s easy to determine who to hire: (1) Ask who they voted for in 2008, or (2) Hire a FReeper.

[servo1969]

I agree with guy who said it's like asking for the keys to someone’s house.
“Thank you for answering my questions. Well, everything seems good here. OK, ready to go?”
“I'm sorry what?”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Go where?”
“To your house. Just a quick look through it and I'll be done.”
“What? What are you talking about? No you can't go through my house!”
“Look it's just a formality. I'm just going to look through all your family photos and rummage around in your closets. It'll be real quick.”
“No! What's wrong with you?!”
“I'm sorry. I thought you needed this job. OK, thank you for coming.”
“Wait! Alright. I guess you can look around.”
“Great! Oh, and before we go I'll need you to sign this form and provide me with a key so I can come in whenever I want.”

[King_Corey]

An employee / employer relationship is MUTUAL, and some employers are pushing the fact that for now they have the upper hand.

If you get asked for anything like this you should silently fold up your stuff and LEAVE the interview. Don’t even say goodbye, they are not a place for liberty loving person to work. Walking away and not answering their questions from that point on is the only correct response.

[FrankR]

They already ask for your SS#, work history, educational history, past address records, arrest recrods, award/commendation history, driving record (when applicable); some give apptitude and personality tests, and don't forget drug testing.

If that's not enough, screw them and their job.