Many employers are now utilizing social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to assist in background checks on future and prospective employees and volunteers. However, information retrieved from these sources is oftentimes collected without an individual’s consent and many employers are finding themselves in legal trouble when it is used improperly. British Columbia’s Privacy Commissioner has released guidelines for social media background checks to help organizations navigate social media background checks and privacy laws. The guidelines discuss topics such as: the risk associated with performing a social media background, the inadvertent collection of third-party personal information; things to consider and what to avoid when performing social media background checks, and more.
Read more
