andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2012-03-07 11:00 am

Interesting Links for 07-03-2012

[identity profile] spacelem.livejournal.com 2012-03-07 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry, did you say you wanted my username and password? No, I'm not giving them to you. In fact, I don't think I'm willing to work where my employers will not respect privacy. I'm sorry you wasted my time.
chess: (Default)

[personal profile] chess 2012-03-07 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
That's great for you, but some people are siginficantly more desperate for a job, especially in the US where it's even easier to be left with absolutely nothing if you aren't employed...

[identity profile] spacelem.livejournal.com 2012-03-07 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Meh.

Still, I don't live in that mess of a country, so that's not my problem. And considering that it's legally very dubious (the ACLU managed to clamp down on it), I think I'd be well within my rights to say no.
chess: (Default)

[personal profile] chess 2012-03-07 07:28 pm (UTC)(link)
You would also be within your rights not to be able to afford food, housing or clothing, though, which forces people into this kind of thing even though they're technically allowed to say no...

[identity profile] spacelem.livejournal.com 2012-03-07 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I've spent plenty of time being unable to afford food or clothing. You're not going to persuade me that I'm wrong here. Giving in to that kind of blackmail just makes it more acceptable the next time, and sooner or later everyone will be forced to hand over their passwords. You say no at the beginning, and maybe it doesn't start; organisations like the ACLU can handle the few cases where it does.

[identity profile] spacelem.livejournal.com 2012-03-08 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Just because I can't let things go, here is some further information about this I found (quoting from someone on slashdot: it's probably correct, but I don't have time to check).

"Accessing another user's account is a violation of facebook's terms of service, even if that user gives them permission, which potentially makes it a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. 1030), i.e. a felony.

"In addition, there are various other questions that employers cannot ask during interviews because doing so violates federal equal employment opportunity legislation, meaning that accessing a user's facebook account opens them up to lawsuits.

"There is however one valid legal use for asking users for their facebook accounts, namely screening out employees who'll create a security risk by being especially vulnerable to social engineering. If an employee will have access to sensitive user or employee account information, then you might reasonable ask them for their facebook account password. If they provide it, you politely tell them they have failed the interview, thank them for their time, and send them home early. If they refuse, then you tell them they answered that question correctly and continue with the interview."