Does an employer have the right to go on Facebook and search your account? This is the question that is being asked in Helena, Montana. In an article i found on the San Francisco Chronicle's website, it discusses the proposal of a bill that will protect workers' social media privacy. This means that employers will not be allowed to ask you for your username and password for Facebook, Twitter, etc.. In 2009, the city of Bozeman required all potential employees to relinquish their social media and personal email usernames and passwords before accepting employment. Employers believed that doing this would enable them to monitor their employees' behavior such as posting sensitive client information on a social media site. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 48-2 and now needs the committee's endorsement to move to the full House.
I think this article is very important because it asks the question about how much an employer is allowed to go when they are screening potential employees. I do not think it should be allowed for employers to go onto people's Facebook and Twitter to conduct background checks. In addition, I think usernames and especially passwords should be secret and only known to the user. If employers require knowing the password who knows what they can do one your Facebook or even share your passwords with others. I support this bill and hope that eventually the legislate passes it.