Facebook warned its users Friday to refrain from giving login information during job interviews after hearing that some employers were asking interviewees to give them access to private information.
It is legal to ask for Facebook login information, said Lyrissa Lidsky, professor at Levin College of Law.
She said giving the information isn’t the best idea, though.
“The consent is economic coercion, in a sense,” Lidsky said.
It is tough to say no to an interviewer, she said, especially in a tough economy.
“A lot of things we consent to we consent to because of social pressures,” she said.
No UF employers ask students for their Facebook login information, said Steve Orlando, UF spokesman.
Lidsky said problems with terms of service like this can negatively affect a company.
She said she suggests only posting what you would want to explain to an interviewer, whether they ask or not.
“It would really change the nature of Facebook if all users had to assume at all times any future employer could use it,” Lidsky said.
Contact Ben Brasch at bbrasch@alligator.org
