[Odd]

I doubt a poll on the question in the title would be very close. If you want to work for the City of Bozeman, MT, giving up that info is part of the application process.

Is this something the city, or whichever agency you work for, should have for the reasons they state? Never mind that giving out login credentials is against the TOS of many websites. What about civilian employers, or contractors hired by the city? They're asking for this, in the City Attorney's words, "all the way down to lifeguards" after all.

10 minute video of interview with City Attorney on website, though it doesn't add much detail. Only interesting bit is he says they don't look at these accounts after the initial hiring, but the usernames and passwords are retained in the employment file. At the very end he uses police officers as the hammer to drive home his "retaining the public's trust" point.

Bozeman City job requirement raises privacy concerns
Bozeman City job requirement raises privacy concerns - Montana's News Station - Fair. Accurate. To the Point. -

Applying for a job with the City of Bozeman? You may be asked to provide more personal information than you expected.

That was the case for one person who applied for employment with the City. The anonymous viewer emailed the news station recently to express concern with a component of the city's background check policy, which states that to be considered for a job applicants must provide log-in information and passwords for social network sites in which they participate.

The requirement is included on a waiver statement applicants must sign, giving the City permission to conduct an investigation into the person's "background, references, character, past employment, education, credit history, criminal or police records."

"Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.," the City form states. There are then three lines where applicants can list the Web sites, their user names and log-in information and their passwords.

The requirement raises questions concerning applicants' privacy rights.

Article 2, Section 10 of the Montana Constitution reads "the right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest."

The City takes privacy rights very seriously, but this request balances those rights with the City's need to ensure employees will protect the public trust, according to city attorney Greg Sullivan.

"So, we have positions ranging from fire and police, which require people of high integrity for those positions, all the way down to the lifeguards and the folks that work in city hall here. So we do those types of investigations to make sure the people that we hire have the highest moral character and are a good fit for the City," Sullivan said.

Another concern the applicant raised was that by providing the City with a Facebook user name and password the City not only has access to the applicant's page but also to the pages belonging to all of the applicant's Facebook "friends."

"You know, I can understand that concern. One thing that's important for folks to understand about what we look for is none of the things that the federal constitution lists as protected things, we don't use those. We're not putting out this broad brush stroke of trying to find out all kinds of information about the person that we're not able to use or shouldn't use in the hiring process," Sullivan said.

When asked about creating a separate Bozeman Facebook page, then asking applicants to add the City as "friend," thus allowing the City to view the applicant's profile, Sullivan said officials could explore the option. This would limit the city to only view the page of the applicant.

No one has ever removed his or her name from consideration for a job due to the request, Sullivan added.

[Ducky]

I'd have to be pretty damn desperate for a job before I agreed to submit that kind of information. I make it a point to not take work home with me, I sure as hell wouldn't want work to invade my home life.

[Five-0]

That is asking for too much. I am surprised since it is a story out of Montana.

[lewisipso]

Not in this lifetime.

[Captain America]

[Morris]

Because it would be voluntary to provide the information to the employer PRIOR to hiring, it would not be unconstitutional. However, it asked AFTER hiring/contract, it would be a potential unconstitutional act against the employee.

Lots of employers are doing this in an effort to ensure nothing embarassing will come out post hiring. Have a hard time agreeing with it but to a degree, understand it (such as the Domino's or Burger King incidents).

[Car 4]

Not only no....but HELL no!


Car 4

[IMachU]

Um, no. Not gonna happen. I could see some city in Kalifornia doping this, but Montana....that is weird.

[CTR man]

Originally Posted by IMachU

Um, no. Not gonna happen. I could see some city in Kalifornia doping this, but Montana....that is weird.

In LA LA land or the San Fransicko Bay Area maybe. Otherwise probably not.

[mack]

Nope, what I do, where I go online is my business. My husband doesn't even know or want my passcodes

[Pudge113]

Not a chance.

[maclean]

No way in hell.

[pgg]

F them

[Wolven]

I'm with the majority...no way in hell.

[jmur5074]

That's ridiculous.

[TXCharlie]

I would give my Chief & Sarge my user name volunterally if they asked - in fact I already told them more than once in case they want to join us here, but I don't think they were interested.

Since they can get their own account if they really want to waste their time spying on me, why would they want my password?

I might have a totally different attitude about it if my livelihood hung in the balance instead of just being a Reserve, though. I'd also be pissed if they demanded it as a job requirement, instead of just asking nicely out of curiosity.

[Cidp24]

That is just plain crazy.

[mavriktu]

Originally Posted by pgg

F them

Well DAMN,now I dont have to since pgg has already given it to them.

[JSO85360]

Hell no, not going to happen. On another note, they already know me. I resemble my posts........

[ChesCopPodz]

On one hand I wouldn't work there and give that up.


But, I completely disagree with the "unconstitutional" and "invasion of privacy" complaints. You know it ahead of time. Don't want to do it? Don't apply. Simple.