Want a job? Password, please!

The ACLU of Maryland is calling on the Maryland Division of Corrections to rescind a blanket policy demanding personal social media passwords from corrections officers and applicants as part of the employment certification process. On January 25, 2011 the ACLU sent a letter to Public Safety Secretary Gary Maynard detailing the experience of Officer Robert Collins, who was ordered to supply his Facebook login information during a recertification jnterview -- giving the DOC access to his private electronic communications, and leaving his friends vulnerable to governmental cyber-snooping.

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• facebook
• privacy

[samgraves2]

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[SpacePyro]

I recently learned about computer security and privacy in one of my classes last semester, and I recall my professor talking to us about this type of situation. Even if this type of protocol is necessary, it's not lawful. Forcing someone to reveal their password under such circumstances would violate their Fifth Amendment rights i.e. a suspect’s constitutional right not to incriminate himself. Privacy is privacy, and every person is governed to maintain it.

[SniperKnight999]

Not everything you've done, but everything you or your friends post about you, is available.

[7heReaper]

im 16 years old and im starting to realize that everything about me and every thing iv ever done can be viewed by thousands of people and published at any time. and i can never get my privacy back.

[KieSeyHow]

@juliengarneau If they do not believe you, then that will tell you useful information about the morals of the company you are applying too.

[ALEXontheTOOB]

It's the Division of Corrections not Secret Service! LOL Regardless, it's lame. What's the worst that they expect to find, an employee playing hooky from work so they could go to Vegas? "OH NO!"

[zulubeat]

SUPPORT COLLINS!

[lionspride85]

would the employers give theirs in return? what if you want to see the type of people you would be working for? im sure THAT wouldnt happen

[juliengarneau]

This is why I don't do social media. Never had a facebook, never will. Watch me get turned down for my next job because my potential employer doesn't believe me when I tell them this.

[MommyReporter]

This is an invasion of privacy... no way would I give an employer my login and password info. Ridiculous...