WE'VE all heard of parents checking up on what their kids are up to by looking at their Facebook entry, but now Germany is seeking to pass legislation to stop prospective employers doing it.
The aim is to try and balance the natural desire of prospective employers to find out about their prospective employees with the right of the employee to keep personal details personal. Although employers will be able to run background checks using the internet, using material from sites like Facebook will not be permitted as such sites were set up for communication purposes. Information contained on sites like Linkedin, which was set up to provide a business tool and pool of potential business contacts will be permitted if the legislation goes ahead.
Good luck enforcing that stunning new piece of legislation!
