Posted on 06/26/2011 8:15:24 PM PDT by ruralvoter
The Federal Trade Commission has approved a controversial firm which scours social media sites to check on job applicants.
It means anything you've ever said in public on sites including Facebook, Twitter and even Craigslist could be seen by your would-be employer.
The Washington-based commission has ruled the firm, Social Intelligence Corporation, complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act - even though it keeps the results of its searches on file for seven years.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
>I love my boss.
I’ll see you tomorrow morning at 9 as usual, Kirk.
“anything you’ve ever said in public on sites including Facebook, Twitter and even Craigslist”
Nothing to worry about, then...
>>It means anything you’ve ever said in public on sites including Facebook, Twitter and even Craigslist could be seen by your would-be employer.
I was going for a high clearance job so I scrubbed my Facebook account and stopped sharing anything. It must have worked since I got the clearance.
But I do not say anything controversial on any web site where I am not anonymous. If it is clearly me it is all about “have a nice day and isn’t everything grand?” I don’t get into what I really think unless there is no tie to me. I’ve never mentioned my web site here. I probably never will, unless I don’t need a job.
They don’t know who you are on FR unless you use your name.
Only if the courts can force JimRob to give up our ID’s......
For as long as I’ve been on the web, I have always operated on the assumption that any and everything I put on the internet can and will be seen by anyone in the universe.
>> “Every utterance you make on the internet is copyrighted and you own the copyright.” <<
.
Not so on lots of sites, especially facebook. You have to accept their agreement, which gives them the right to use everything that you post to their site.
I am coming up with a big “So what?” regarding this trend. I don’t have a Myspace or Facebook account, the only thing I have posted on Craigslist are household things I want to sell. Even if my real name and FR handle were associated somehow, I stand by what I say here even though a lefty might not like it. If I am not hired because a boss doesn’t like my politics, then I probably didn’t want to work for them anyhow.
I think this only negatively impacts those people who post every stupid detail of their lives on Facebook or Twitter including all their drunken partying and such.
This doesn’t work....America still hired Erkel Mugabe as Precedent !
I don’t need to worry, b/c whenever I post anything obscene or defamatory, I always use the screen name “Anthony Weiner.”
Me too. And I have offended many people. And I don’t care.
I use an alias for everything. Just my closest friends and fam know it.
Chyea, a lot of companies are in the same boat. You wouldn’t believe how many prospective employers I’ve searched on the net, and turned their offers down after that. It’s a two way street.
Earl is also a middle name that you don’t want.
Don’t ever love your company because it will never love you back.
My boss can piss up a rope. Then again, I work for myself;)
The government’s first instinct here is to let the big employers do as they please. Most in the government are bought and paid for and they will not be concerned about the privacy rights of ordinary citizens unless those citizens rise up in mass to throw some of them out of office.
Opinions expressed on the internet by individuals have probably been viewed like confidential, inside your own castle conversations by many (however naively) up until now, especially by the majority who never disclose their correct name, etc.
But there is no doubt that many employers will intrude and meddle in the private lives of employees and potential employees as much as they can get away with it, even when there have been no indications at work that there are any problems.
I’ve been wondering about this software that they claim to have.
I know for certain that it possible for software to analyze the writings of people and, given enough material, derive a chillingly accurate profile of the author. Supposedly, in a few paragraphs, it is possible to determine your sex, your age (give or take a few years), your education/income, and sometimes your general location - all without any direct clues. It shouldn’t be that difficult to assign certain characteristics to each unique entity on a board and match them closely to other boards, only one of which might contain the user’s actual identity.
In other words, if you are on Facebook, your writing style may give you away here. So, don’t think that you are “safe” - which is why I may or may not be on any social networks.
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