When Your Facebook Account Becomes Part of the Job Application

March 13, 2011 — -- For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to wrap my head around a story I read about a newly instituted (and now temporarily suspended) employment screening policy of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. In addition to the usual requirements—you know, fill out an application and undergo a rigorous background check—they "request" that an applicant offer up his or her social networking login and password information.

The Department contends that the policy was designed to more effectively screen prospective applicants to ensure that the only guys with gang affiliations within their walls are their official guests and not employees.

[Consumer Guide: Specialty Consumer Reports—Employment Screening]

As reported by NBC's Washington affiliate, one of many news outlets which carried the story, Robert Collins was an employee of the Department and in 2009 when his mother died, he took a leave of absence. When his leave was up, he applied for a position at another facility within the department and was in the process of being re-certified for the job. During his interview, according to Collins, the interviewer "demanded" his Facebook password and full access to his account. Eager to rejoin his former Department, though he felt it was a total invasion of his privacy, he complied.

According to an interview on WCSH6, Mr. Collins said, "He logged into my account and went through my pages, my posts, my messages, all my pictures, things like that," he said.

At the conclusion of the interview, he left the building and visited the ACLU. They interviewed him, wrote a letter to the Department, made a video and released it into the ether.