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Senators Slam Firm For Online Background Check

Posted by Soulskill on from the please-defend-this-comment-you-posted-8-years-ago dept.

GovTechGuy writes "Social Intelligence Corp's online employment screening service, which preserves users' social media profiles and other data for use by potential employers, infringes on consumers' privacy and could be a violation of the law according to Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Al Franken (D-MN). The Senators wrote to Social Intelligence Corp on Monday demanding answers to a host of questions about the service and how it collects data."

5 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Shocking. by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or, really not. That's why I have a Facebook account with a believable, but fake name. Good luck to all companies trying to find my social network presence. You get LinkedIn, and that's it. To any company that requires my social network information to hire me: No, you don't. And I'd rather not work for you, if you think you do.

    I'm really wondering where this is headed. Dual SN-profiles for the tech-savvy, single profiles for the rest? Mandatory ID check and real name requirements before signing up for a social network? I guess Google is halfway there, but quite frankly, if they ban my profile for not being a real name, I have little use for their social network.

    It looks like some of the more distopian Internet futures might be around the corner: especially those with a dark net, where a lot of communication is encrypted, private and only between vetted members of a group.

    --
    Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    1. Re:Shocking. by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It isn't so much about posting illegal stuff. What concerns me far more is that some moronic hiring manager might object to me posting stories about AGW, or that I think it's great that Obama won. I generally wouldn't want to work for him in the first place, but just in case I really, really need that job, I don't want that to be an issue.

      Ergo, fake name.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
    2. Re:Shocking. by Seumas · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You no longer need to ask awkward or illegal questions to discriminate. Just google 'em. "I don't want no libertarians! I don't want no republicans or democrats! I don't want no atheists or jews or wiccans! I don't want no avid video gamers! I don't want no single people! I don't want me no people with children working here!

      Of course, these companies "blur out information that could raise legal concerns for the employer" and there's certainly no way the employer could expound on that initial information on their own or anything...! *cough*

    3. Re:Shocking. by Seumas · · Score: 4, Interesting

      You know, when my parents and grandparents were starting into the job market, they were "employees".

      Now we're "resources".

      That kind of says it all.

  2. Can you say "Copyright Infringement"? by maz2331 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Facebook posts are copyrighted by the poster, the same as any newspaper article or photograph is, and if they use those copyrighted works in their reports, they are infringing - and good luck trying to make a fair use exemption fly if sued over it.