US senators urge Attorney General to probe legality of Facebook password request

Senators Charles E Schumer and Richard Blumenthal confirmed yesterday that they have written to the US Justice Department and the equal employment opportunity commission, asking them to investigate prospective employers who request employees turnover Facebookl passwords during the interview process.

This follows recent reports from both the US and UK of private and public employers asking jobseekers to present the social media information at the interview stage. The practice has been widely criticised by privacy campaigners but its legality remains uncertain. In a statement, Schumer said “employers have no right to ask job applicants for their house keys or to read their diaries. Why should they be able to ask them for their Facebook password?”