Should social media activity cost you a job?

When you apply for a new job, there’s a good chance that the company will take a look at your social media activity, such as your Facebook page, blog activity, and even Craigslist listings. In fact, many companies now require job applicants to pass a social media background check before offering them a job. Companies are trying to protect themselves by looking for such things as racist remarks and illegal activities, as well as get a feel for whether or not an individual would be a good fit for the company.

But should individuals have to risk losing a job if they post a photo of themselves in a racy Halloween costume or make an offhand comment that an employer may misinterpret? What if a company denies you a job based on inaccurate information or information they wouldn’t be allowed to ask in a job interview, such as information relating to your age, race, gender, religion, and so forth? And what if someone else posts and tags a questionable photo of you—should a potential employer be able to use that or other third-party information to make a decision about your future? To be safe, should job applicants have to abstain from social media activity in order to protect themselves, even though such sites are typically viewed as places to casually interact with others on personal free time? Or is everything a potential employer finds online fair game?

Pick a side on this issue, form an opinion and gather supporting evidence, and write up a short discussion about your opinion and post it to this discussion board.