The media attention and backlash over Bozeman, Montana requiring job applicants to provide their login passwords to social networking sites has resulted in the city rescinding its policy. The Montana News Station reports:
A change in Bozmean’s city hiring policy — two days and one worldwide reaction after we broke the story, Bozeman will no longer ask applicants for social networking user names and passwords.
“Effective at noon today the city of Bozeman permanently ceased the practice of requesting that candidates selected for positions under a provisional job offer to provide their usernames or passwords for candidates internet sites,” said Chris Kukulske, Bozeman City Manager.
Kukulski says after a 90 minute staff meeting held earlier today, officials decided asking applicants to provide their passwords to sites such as Facebook or MySpace, “exceeded that which is acceptable to our community.”
Kukulski apologized for the negative impact the issue has generated from news organizations and blogs around the world.
He says this information was never required at the time of application.
“This was a question that was asked after you were conditionally offered the job.”
He says the city also is suspending the practice of viewing any password protected information.
The city will continue using the internet as part of background checks to judge the character of applicants, and although the city will stop asking for passwords Kukulski says the passwords already given by previous applicants will remain the confidential property of the city.
And if those applicants read the news, they will immediately change their passwords, if they have not done so already.
(image credit: David Stybr)