By now, everyone has heard the news. Employers are beginning to ask applicants and interviewees for their passwords to Facebook and other top social networks. Companies are claiming it is a way to gauge your personality, your ethics and your morals—in a detailed way that was not possible before the advent of social media sites.

Know Your Rights

This is a blatant violation of individual privacy. On an application, you are not required to fill out race, gender, marital status or sexual orientation, and it is illegal for an interviewer to ask you. If they go through your Facebook, all of this information is readily available.

Facebook has weighed in on the issue, calling it “distressing.” Facebook recently amended its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities to make it against company policy to share or solicit your account passwords. This is a good move by Facebook, but the proposed social networking user protection amendment introduced March 29 in the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass. If it had, employers would not be allowed to ask for passwords.

Protect Yourself Online—Just In Case

You can bet that top recruiters and HR departments are going to research you on social media sites. That is a major part of their job, and you will not be able to stop that. But you can keep your profile private and make sure you look professional in it.

In college, you are now taught to keep your profile private and to avoid posting any pictures or comments that could place you in a negative light. However, many people do not know that there is a way to make sure everything on Facebook associated with your name (i.e., a tagged picture, a comment on your status, etc.) can be viewed by you first and then accepted or declined. Doing this will allow you to better control what appears on your site. After all, being tagged in a less than flattering picture you do not remember can be damaging to your hiring potential.

Here is how you set up your approvals on Facebook:

1. Log in and go to Privacy Settings
2. Click on Timeline and Tagging
3. From there you can edit:

Why Saying No Is Hard, But Important

If you are interviewing for a position, more than likely you are in real need of the job. Knowing that competition is fierce and that the cards are likely stacked in the employer’s favor, will you be able to stand up for yourself and say no if asked for your Facebook password? Sadly, many people will succumb to this invasion for fear of losing the opportunity.

In a world where privacy needs to be valued and protected, be prepared to stand your ground. State that you have nothing to hide, but you have the right to maintain your privacy online in the spirit of Equal Opportunity Employment.

Have you been asked for your Facebook password or asked to sign into your account while someone stands behind you? If so, let us know how you handled the experience.