European Employers Must Warn Job Applicants before Checking Their Social Media

Megalith

Megalith

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Scoping out prospective employees’ social media accounts is nothing new, but hiring managers in Europe will need to think twice before doing so due to new guidelines that have been released as a means of clarifying data protection laws. The rules are designed to protect individual privacy rights and data sharing: companies that don't abide could face a fine of up to 4% of their annual global sales. It is unclear how this would be effectively enforced, however.

The rules require employers to issue a disclaimer before they check applicants' online accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If applicants don't see the warning, the company could be in breach of European Union data protection rules. Employers are also barred from compiling social media data as part of the hiring process unless it is "necessary and relevant" for a particular job. The guidelines are part of a lengthy document clarifying data protection laws that apply to employers across 28 EU countries. The rules may require companies to change how they recruit.
 
Seems tough to prove if the person doing hiring just does the snooping on their own from a non-company machine. They obviously couldn't list anything social media related as a reason for not hiring someone, but there are only about a million things they could say instead.
 
I don't see how it can be a breach of data protection - the user has put that information in the public domain, so it can be accessed by anyone who uses the tool.

That said, this is the EU we are talking about, so data protection is high on their shit list, and there's a whole new raft of tighter rules coming into play, they must be seen to be cracking the whip I suppose
 
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Although I think it's a stupid law, I wouldn't complain as a potential employee. that said, I know people who change their name on FB when applying for jobs. Personally i have virtually nothing that's publicly visible. There might be one post complaining to a s/w vendor about crappy support and of course cover pictures are always globally visible...but that's it. I also don't friend co-workers. That way I when i tell a superior no, I'm not singling them out. If you want to be my friend, quit your job ;)
 
Ashcutus said:
I don't see how it can be a breach of data protection - the user has put that information in the public domain, so it can be accessed by anyone who uses the tool.

That said, this is the EU we are talking about, so data protection is high on their shit list, and there's a whole new raft of tighter rules coming into play, they must be seen to be cracking the whip I suppose
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Master_shake_ said:
The internet is public domain .

Another overreach by the eu fuck EU.
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This is likely a law to combat the companies that were requiring you friend them (so they could review your data) or hand over passwords to your social accounts.
 
Spidey329 said:
This is likely a law to combat the companies that were requiring you friend them (so they could review your data) or hand over passwords to your social accounts.
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I don't think so. I think this is about going to a social media account and reading their public posts. That said, I'll never understand why people make public posts beyond an occasional picture here and there. I don't let Friends of Friends view most stuff, though occasionally I'll allow them to see a picture, but it's rare.
 
Toepunch said:
just delete facebook for a few weeks.
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No need to bother, just say you don't use social media. Good luck figuring out whether or not I'm lying--none of the people on FB with my name use my face as a profile picture.
 
My FB profile is unsearchable and only visible to friends, other sites don't even use my real name so good luck checking those!
 
Facebook.eu = A single user account for millions of people that only allows posting of cat and dog memes that are not threatening, pointedly provocative or directed toward a specific individual(s) in a negative context. No personally identifiable information on the account, no data collection on activity and no targeted ads.

Certainly makes administration a piece of cake!
 
I have nothing on any social media sites.
My only concern is that they might find someone else with the same name and get confused.
 
cpy2 said:
My FB profile is unsearchable and only visible to friends, other sites don't even use my real name so good luck checking those!
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all facebook profiles are searchable. They removed the ability to be unsearchable years ago.
 
^ while that is true, all they get is a picture of you and nothing else if it is set to private
 
People are just too dumb in general. They write racist remarks, political opinions, jokes or sarcasm that can be misinterpreted etc. on Facebook without thinking of the consequences. Just one like at the wrong place has got people fired.

Nobody should write anything on Facebook. It's a tool for finding lost friends or a shag. Even then it's questionable.
 
heatlesssun said:
Sure. Everyone in this forum uses their real name.
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Most Facebook users use their real names and post comments with the FB plugin that read 'John Doe, manager at Losers Inc'

They write extremely - I mean EXTREMELY stupid stuff and then have their comments tagged with the company they work at, tarnishing the image of the company in the process. People are so incredibly dumb it's hard to grasp.
 
Evil EU says companies not allowed to spy on their applicants and employees. Oh the rage! Imagine your private life being protected, what a socialistic thought! Better get some more NSA backdoors installed ASAP.

Companies have nothing to do in snooping around peoples private life. A job is an exchange of time and money and nothing more.
 
It costs 10s of thousands of dollars to hire and train new employees. If a potential candidate has pictures of themselves partying, doing drugs, etc wide out in the open on social media (damn right I check,) they are not getting hired.

If you want things in your life to remain private, keep them private. Public social media accounts are the antithesis of privacy.

This is a ridiculous and completely unenforceable rule.
 
Shintai said:
Evil EU says companies not allowed to spy on their applicants and employees. Oh the rage! Imagine your private life being protected, what a socialistic thought! Better get some more NSA backdoors installed ASAP.

Companies have nothing to do in snooping around peoples private life. A job is an exchange of time and money and nothing more.
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utterly heavy handed in it's punishment. you forgot that part.

EU going broke is everyones problem apparently.
 
I actually have the reverse issue. I have never been on facebook/twitter/linkdin.. etc

if you take my name and slap it in google, there are like 2 posts i made in an email forum years ago.. else nada. some people simply dont believe it.
 
So stupid...the people posting that info on Facebook, Linkedin, etc, choose to make it public meaning they have already agreed to allow a recruiter to look at their information. Shouldn't that already be considered as consent?

Anyways, the fix is simply going to be recruiters searching through online stuff as guest and not logged into their account.
 
katanaD said:
I actually have the reverse issue. I have never been on facebook/twitter/linkdin.. etc

if you take my name and slap it in google, there are like 2 posts i made in an email forum years ago.. else nada. some people simply dont believe it.
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For me Google only finds occupation related news articles, news paper pictures etc...
 
Welp, at some point in the future you probably won't get a job if you don't have a verifiable online profile. I'll be in the unemployment line then.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
^ while that is true, all they get is a picture of you and nothing else if it is set to private
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Yes, but that's not the same as not being searchable. A few years ago, a person could search for you and you wouldn't turn up.
 
Reasons why I don't use social media for $200 Alex.

That said I walked out of an interview I needed a couple weeks ago when they asked me for this kind of information. I responded simply that while I do not use it, I have no intention of working for any employer that thinks they have the right to pry into my personal life.
 
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