| More and more people are getting hooked with | | | | viewed publicly, and they don't necessarily |
| the different social networking sites available on | | | | guarantee strict privacy security, the option of |
| the web. With the availability of social profiles on | | | | showing this still depends upon the owner of the |
| MySpace, Multiply, Facebook and many more | | | | profile. A lot of these social networking sites issue |
| other networking sites, employers found an easier | | | | service claims preventing the use of the site for |
| way to conduct free background checks on | | | | commercial capacity. If someone, say the |
| potential employees through these prospects' | | | | management or an employer uses the network |
| profiles. A warning to the employers however, | | | | profile as basis for their hiring decision, the |
| was advised regarding those who would use the | | | | applicant or employee carries the right to bring |
| public profile to result to an adverse decision on | | | | the issue to the court with grounds concerning |
| the applications. Because these social networking | | | | privacy intrusion. However, it can be hard proving |
| sites offer profiles that can be viewed by a | | | | that an employer actually wrongly used the |
| number of people, some employers or | | | | networking site for their advantage. These |
| management heads use these instance to check | | | | concerns can be filed as a federal case under the |
| around and dig up on someone's personal behavior | | | | Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. As far |
| and identity. What these employers or authorities | | | | as it's about a background check, it should be |
| usually forget is the fact that the profiles made | | | | remembered that these steps must always be |
| through these sites only offer viewing profiles to | | | | regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Any |
| which they are closely related to or to whomever | | | | violation of the said act can be used as bases |
| they allow their profile to be viewed by. These | | | | when brought to the court. |
| profiles can be set for viewing to up to the third | | | | More over the networking profiles, managers or |
| level of connections or simply to the first level | | | | employers should keep in mind that not all profiles |
| only, depending on the profile owner's settings. | | | | are factual. False statements can easily be made |
| Thus if proven that at some point the employer | | | | in a profile which could affect or twist the truth |
| or management goes further hacking someone's | | | | that the person investigating might wrongly |
| profile, he could face a serious privacy concern | | | | depend on. It's still best to hire third party |
| which is a potential litigation. | | | | companies that offer background checks from |
| This only means that even though the network | | | | where you'll be guaranteed with results that are |
| profiles that a person provides online can be | | | | secured, true and necessary. |