Crime & Safety

Spotsy Sheriff Inspects Employees' Facebook

More employers are looking at potential employees' Facebook pages for red flags, including the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.

Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office are using Facebook to vet potential employees, according to an article in the First Amendment Center.

The article quotes Mike Harvey, the sheriff's office spokesman, saying that detectives look for derogatory statements when they are considering new employees. Before a person is hired, they are asked to "friend" background investigators who scour through their Facebook pages searching for red flags.

“In the past, we’ve talked to friends and neighbors, but a lot of times we found that applicants interact more through social-media sites than they do with real friends,” said Capt. Mike Harvey. “Their virtual friends will know more about them than a person living 30 yards away from them.”

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What do you think about this practice? Invasive? Fair game? Should any employer require a potential employee to open up their Facebook page for review?

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