Comments on: Bozeman to job seekers: We won't seek passwords

Under scrutiny, Montana city reverses long-standing policy that job applicants provide user names and passwords to sites like Facebook and MySpace.

[aragorn888]

I mean... how CREEPY is that?

Any the statement that "information wasn't sought until "you were conditionally offered the job" is proof positive that these trolls just don't get it. People have jobs and then they have a life. You, stupid city bureaucrats have NO RIGHT to invade your employees' personal life.

I hope that at least some of those who, in the past, yielded to your stupid demands sue your city and you personally and demand trillions of dollars in damages. I have little doubt that juries will be more than happy to find you guilty because you are.

[cvaldes1831]

It's amazing how bad publicity makes people "re-evaluate practices."

"Now that the entire world knows that we are a-holes, maybe we should stop?"

Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[dwinks]

Why the hell would they need the passwords? If they just want to make sure you aren't posting your plans for world-domination and lists of "people to kill" along the way on social networking sites, all they would need is usernames. The password is completely unnecessary.

Then again, I can't fathom ANYTHING in local government that would require much of any background check. Heaven forbid if the person driving the snowplow in the winter or mowing the grass at the local park supports obama, is muslim, is against abortion or any other completely non-job-relevant thing. Since when is it legal or even OK to consider aspects of a person's personal life when it comes to employment. Hell, while we are at it, lets put some "Irish need not apply" signs up and make blacks ride in the back of the bus again.

I better not rant too much here or I might sacrifice any possibility of future employment or even risk having the "thought police" knock down my door and haul me off to Guantanamo Bay for some waterboarding sessions.

[BtmnHatesRbn]

Hey, see you there, then.

Wait, according to Owell (the Hoyle of Marxism), they'd do what you indicate to their own first, keep us around as a needed opposition.

[Kev_Orng]

If they have your Google password, then they have your specific search history, as well as access to your gmail, google calendar, google docs. Also, they'd need passwords to get past your privacy settings on sites like Facebook.

[myles taylor]

Whoa, I used to live in Montana. Weird to see this. I agree it's none of their business and they shouldn't be doing this.

[BtmnHatesRbn]

Libertarians verge onto Fascism. I looked deeply into their party and roots. I'll stick being whatever the hell I am now, whatever that is.

[Draq Wraith]

Ok how many people find it creepy to even want to live in Montanna?

then how many states secrets do they have to protect that they would even consider "altering" your web site and making it look like your the bad guy when it is them.
Anyone have a vengeful boss? I had a few and they are now wanted by the US marshals.

D~W

[samhuff]

The terms of service with my ISP require me to not reveal my password to anyone.

[TheDrumThumper]

I live in Montana, and I cannot say that I am surprised by the city of Bozeman's conduct. These people really need to get into the 21st century.

[BtmnHatesRbn]

We need to get back to the 19th century. What they did are 21st century tactics.

[krosafcheg]

Simple.

The city was being LAZY by doing their own background research. They figured, "hey, we'll require of our applicants to disclose X,Y,Z, so we don't have to hire some pimply teenager for $10 an hour to scour Google." At the least, the city attorney should be fired.

Talk about a Yoo move.

[sythara]

You call it lazy, I call it saving taxpayers dollars

[JFDMit]

Hopefully, this boneheaded government won't still be in power when the Vulcans swing by to make first contact, or they'll probably just keep on going.

[BtmnHatesRbn]

Oh! Oh! There they go. Damn, we should've returned the stolen space money!

[sythara]

lol. Sadly there are no missile complexes outside of Bozeman. Many of them are around Lewistown though

[Shoes58]

The passwords already received will remain the city's confidential property, CBS affiliate reported.

As if the first thing these victims wouldn't do is change their passwords... rofl

[dnguyen68]

Could you just write on the application N/A , None , Don't have One or create a fake FaceBook account ?

[ikramerica--2008]

Then you would be lying. That's fireable.

But the act of requiring this information is a clear violation of the first amendment, because it is the government abridging your free speech. A private company has the right to ask for this stuff (you don't have to comply and they may or may not hire you), but the city can not select you based on the content of your speech or associations unless they are illegal acts....

[ddesy]

I don't see how even a private company should be able to require this information. That would still be a violation of a person's basic rights!

[codynews]

That seems like a stupid policy (requiring passwords of applicants)

Thus, I wouldn't apply

Cody

[pentest]

I would apply, refuse to give the information, not get hired file a lawsuit for $1.00 and then sit back and watch the fireworks.

[Brandonius Maximus]

What people seem to be missing is that what the city is engaging in falls under the federal computer "hacking" laws -- Facebook (or whatever other site you are a member of) has authorized you to use your account, but has not authorized the City of Bozeman. So any use of your password protected account areas by them is unauthorized access, and a violation of the law.

[sythara]

Folks, its obvious that whoever wrote the requirement didnt fully understand what they were doing; and no one challeneged it. This is Montana we're talking about here folks, and up here half of the people don't even know what google is.

It wasn;t Government trying to spy on you, it were Government employees being uneducated in modern way of the internet.

[ddesy]

I don't buy that idea. If somebody knows how to log into a network or even a website, they know better.

[sythara]

No personal attack on you ddesy, but you don't work with the Governments much, do you?

[LuvThatCO2]

I agree, sythara. They were just being stupid. Mind you, that doesnt mean people shouldnt get on their case. But from reading the request, it did sound like any of the hundreds of 'legalese' statements I've read over the years that were clearly written by someone who does not understand the internet.

[inachu1]

They try to use the same reasoning to keep using your passwords as for the same reason that people higher up in GOVT positions think that Good DECENT law abiding people should have nothing to hide and that these good people should live in glass houses and should not have to protest to any such data mining. But the more you put more and more people into data mining then the less secure our lives become.

Soon if more govt cities make demands like this and then they will try to make themselves immune to class action lawsuits if your SNN ends up on a credit card sharing website while proclaiming innocence that they took the precautions of using hardware software soloutions to try and safeguard such data.

If they did not request this data then there would not be a fault to begin with.
So the conclusion is the dept asking for these rights to ask people for such information Have an unusaully high liability on their hands in making their local govt look like a den of theives by way of deniability,acountability to nobody. This sort of elitist mentality usually prone to political hack jobs and hit men. If you want to sully your reputation with that a common criminal then yes go ahead and keep requesting for passwords that do not belong to you.