Should I share my Facebook password?

Something to be on the watch in the next year or so should be about the new trend of job applicant's having to submit their Facebook login and passwords in order to verify their professionalism and character. However, that really doesn't fly with about 99% of prospective employees. Those of us seeking to find employment after college or in general are told repeatedly that it's very prudent to clean up our party photos and the like in order that we don't get passed up.

Where does Facebook stand?
I could paraphrase where they stand, but Erin Egan, Facebook's chief privacy officer, says it pretty plainly:

"Facebook takes your privacy seriously. We’ll take action to protect the privacy and security of our users, whether by engaging policymakers or, where appropriate, by initiating legal action, including by shutting down applications that abuse their privileges."

For the full post, click here.

Overall, Facebook has condemned the practice of using such techniques to gain information as a violation of policy and inappropriate. (One note though: Wasn't Mark Zuckerberg accused of selling information like this? Is it only bad if someone else is stealing your clients information?)



Where does the current Legislation stand?
Currently, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is trying his hardest to put a stop to this. Blumenthal, a former Attorney General, calls the practice "unreasonable invasion of privacy" in this article. The senator is currently drafting a bill that will outlaw the practice entirely using the basis that if polygraphing is too far of an invasion of privacy, so is looking at someone's profile. Needless to say, the man is very determined to shut this down; and he has an impressive record of tackling organized crime, drug trafficking, and consumer fraud.

How does this relate to the mobile cause and why should you care?
Surprisingly enough, this is right on target with anything mobile. Now that Facebook and Twitter have immigrated to your smartphone or tablet, you probably tend to use it more than you used to (or a lot more for most people). Having someone else access your account where you store a good deal of personal information - including financial, and other confidential information - really isn't safe for anyone but the user to know.  You would never want to share any information that could potentially be damaging to your identity, even if it cost you a job opportunity.

A final word
However, this is a good reminder for those of us trying to get employed. While they won't be able to view the inner workings of your life, they will be able to see the outer workings. Be prudent in what you post - because you can never guarantee who will be able to see it.