[WikiEN-l] US city requires Internet account passwords from employees

[Thomas Dalton]

2009/6/19 Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com>:
> http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/19/us/AP-US-Internet-Background-Checks.html
>
> New employees, and perhaps current ones (?), are being asked to provide
> details of all web-based accounts, including forums and social networking
> sites. Details are meant to include usernames and passwords. Maybe we should
> have a user category of "Public employees in Bozeman, Montana" just in
> case... I doubt this turns into a new wave of intrusiveness, at least in the
> near future, but its disturbing even as an isolated case. For the legal
> types, any caselaw on whether employers (public or private) can demand this
> sort of information without violating the "implied right to privacy"?

"[The city] says it won't hold it against anyone for refusing to provide it."

If it's not compulsory, I don't see a problem, as long as that fact is
made clear to people. I don't see the point in asking if it isn't
compulsory, though, unless they intend to trick people into thinking
it is. Who would voluntarily give up that information?