Senators Want Feds to Look into Employers Asking for Facebook Passwords

Washington Post: Last week, reports surfaced that a growing number of employers were asking job applicants for their Facebook passwords during the interview process. Now, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have sent letters to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, asking them to investigate whether the practice violates U.S. law. Specifically, requesting passwords as a precondition to employment may violate the Stored Communications Act or the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

On Friday, Facebook chimed in on the controversy, saying that requiring potential hires to divulge their passwords violates its terms of service. “We don’t think employers should be asking prospective employees to provide their passwords because we don’t think it’s the right thing to do. While we do not have any immediate plans to take legal action against any specific employers, we look forward to engaging with policy makers and other stakeholders, to help better safeguard the privacy of our users,” the company said in a statement.