Employers viewing publicly available social media profiles of employees and job applicants may be acceptable, but insisting on access to private profiles constitutes an invasion of privacy. While social media has become pervasive, individuals are still entitled to keep their private lives private. Asking for passwords to access private pages is like demanding keys to someone's home or access to their bank accounts. Rather than focusing on how someone uses social media, employers should prioritize traditional evaluative methods like resumes, interviews, and background checks that are relevant to assessing work ethics.

1. TAKING AWAY
PRIVACY?

2. The question is…
Is it an invasion of privacy for businesses to
look at private social media pages?

3. “Invasion of privacy is the intrusion
into the personal life of another,
without just cause, which can give
the person whose privacy has been
invaded a right to bring a lawsuit for
damages against the person or
entity that intruded…”

4. “It encompasses workplace
monitoring, Internet privacy, data
collection…”

5. So when did this…

6. …involve these?

7. Social Media’s Movement
Some Social
• No such thing as Media • Whole world on
Facebook • Facebook Facebook
• No such thing as started out small • Twitter growing
Twitter • Twitter was not
launched
Social Media
Privacy
Bombardment

8. An increase in both aspects
Social
media
Managers viewing
publicly available
Facebook and Twitter
accounts

9. KEY WORD: PUBLICLY
• User allowing activity
Public to be seen
Page • Managers can easily view
• Done to keep private
Private
• All entitled to private lives
Page

10. Facebook was designed in a way that allows
users to limit their profiles availability
That makes employer’s asking to view employee’s private
pages, or for their password…
an invasion of privacy

11. “It’s an invasion of privacy for private
employers to insist on looking at people’s
private Facebook pages as a condition of
employment or consideration in an
application process.”
-ACLU attorney Catherine Crump

12. “Asking for your Facebook password is like
demanding the key to your house, your alarm
code, and to be put on your bank account as a
signer.”
- David Gewirtz

13. What employer’s should be focusing on
Resumes
Interviews
Background checks

14. Because in reality, what is more
important?
How someone uses social media?
Or their work ethics?

15. The answer is clear
Businesses looking at private social media pages…
Invasion
of
privacy
↵

16. Works Cited
American Civil Liberties Union of Man 2012. “Invading Privacy Through Facebook.”
Blog of Rights 2012. “Your Facebook Password Should be None of Your Boss’
Business.”
Lenard, George 2012. “Employers Using Facebook for Background Checking, Part I.”
LeVine, Marc 2012. “Employers May Destroy Social Media Marketing Through
Invasion of Privacy.”
Protalinski, Emil 2012. “Employers Demanding Facebook Passwords is Privacy
Invasion.”