Facebook Privacy

picture by Flickr user English106

By Josh Dillen

Privacy is becoming a precious commodity in this world. Teenagers are interacting in a completely different way than their parents, choosing to connect with their friends via social media, like Facebook. With most profiles open to public, it’s getting hard to keep a secret. This is increasingly worrying, considering that employers’ heightened interest in viewing possible employees’ online profiles. Just one unfortunate picture from a party or questionable friend in the virtual world, can cause real world disappointment. Not only are employers checking Facebook, but your dream college is too. Fortunately, a new bill in California promises to add another level of security for the social networker.

On the first day of 2013, it will be illegal for employers to request the passwords of prospective employees. This means all of those scandalous private messages can remain private and out of the eyes of future employers. This bill does not only protect job applicants, but hopeful students as well. It will also become illegal for colleges to require passwords from prospective students. However, this does not mean profiles will remain unseen. The often ignored option on Facebook to make your profile private is key. If an employer or university can find your profile, whatever they see is still fair game.

Once employed, however, you still are not safe. If you log onto Facebook, or any social network for that matter, via a company issued smart phone or computer, you relinquish control of your password. Whether an employer decides to snoop your profile or not is up to them.

While online social networks can help you land jobs, it can also ruin your chances at getting one. Sometimes the only difference between you and another potential candidate could be a suspicious status or incriminating pictures.