Social netvetting

Social network vetting, also known as Cyber-vetting, is increasingly being used by potential employers and other acquaintances to assess people's online presence or "internet reputation" (netrep) on social network services such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo and LinkedIn. Employers may check profiles, posts, and photographs for indications that the candidate is unsuitable.
A survey in 2007 found that half of UK employees would be outraged if their employers looked up information about them on social networking sites, and 56% thought it would be unethical. Employer surveys found that between 1/5 and 2/3 of employers conduct internet searches, including of social networking sites, and that some have turned down applicants as a result of their searches. Prospective political appointees to the Obama administration were asked to list all their blog posts, any emails, text messages, and instant messages that could suggest a conflict of interest or public source of embarrassment, the URLs of any sites that featured them in a personal or professional capacity, and all of their online aliases. Job applicants have been refused due to criticising previous employers and discussing company information online, as well as for posting provocative and inappropriate photographs, drinking or drug use, poor communication skills, making discriminatory comments, and lying about qualifications. Several companies offer online reputation management services, including helping to remove embarrassing information from websites.
Legal experts have warned human resources departments about vetting prospective employees online, due to the possibility of discrimination and the unreliability of this information. The chairman of the UK Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety argued that it was "possibly illegal, but certainly unethical". While the Information Commissioner's Office advised that just looking at information on someone's social networking profiles would not be illegal, an employment law specialist noted that processing and storing the information or using it to make discriminatory decisions could be. Age discrimination might result from such a practice, due to the age profile of users of social networking sites.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu