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

[Ray Saintonge]

Thomas Dalton wrote:
> 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?
The success of  endless scams where people give up passwords and other 
personal information is as much proof as we need to show that people 
would voluntarily give up the information.  Colour these requests with 
an air of apparent authority and the rate of compliance will go up 
significantly.

While it's likely true that the city cannot make these requirements 
compulsory, there's more than one kind of compulsory.  A person who 
fails to give this information may be seen as not a team-player, and 
suffer consequences accordingly.

Ec