City asks applicants for Internet passwords

[Miss Mia]

City asks applicants for Internet passwords

Job applicants with the city of Bozeman are finding that their private Internet discussions and pictures may not be so private after all.

The city is asking job seekers for the user names and passwords to Internet social networking or Web groups to which they belong. The decision is sparking an outcry from those who say the policy goes way too far.

The issue has spawned hundreds of comments on Web forums and sharp criticism from legislators and the ACLU.

"I liken it to them saying they want to look at your love letters and your family photos," said Amy Cannata, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana. "I think this policy certainly crosses the privacy line."

The city argues that it only uses the information to verify application information — and says it won't hold it against anyone for refusing to provide it. City officials say such checks can be useful, especially when hiring police officers and others in a position of public trust.

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Oh hell no.  I'm with the ACLU on this.  There's no way in hell I'd give people my passwords.  They can search for me and look at anything that's not private on the internet, but my passwords?  Oh hell no. 

[Vonne]

Thankfully, after much media attention, they've changed their policy requirements mandating one's social networking accounts and passwords.  Interestingly enough, the city administrators who mandated it, exempted themselves by way of stating that they were dutifully elected and therefore already publicly vetted.   :

[Miss Mia]

Thankfully, after much media attention, they've changed their policy requirements mandating one's social networking accounts and passwords.  Interestingly enough, the city administrators who mandated it, exempted themselves by way of stating that they were dutifully elected and therefore already publicly vetted.   :

Yeah, I wouldn't give that out either.  So, if someone from the city logged in as you started posting, can you then sue them?