Companies Require Social Media Background Checks Before Hiring

Some companies are requiring background checks into the social media histories of possible hires, the New York Times reports.
 
So those questionable photos you posted once?  Those comments you thought were obviously a joke?  They could come back to haunt you—for seven years.  A start-up, Social Intelligence, was recently approved by the Federal Trade Commission and is allowed to perform internet background checks.
 
“We store records for up to seven years as long as those records haven’t been disputed,” Social Intelligence’s chief operating officer Geoffrey Andrews told Forbes. “If a record is disputed and changed then we delete the disputed record and store the new record when appropriate.”
 
According to the New York Times, Social Intelligence searches for the following negative activity in your online history: racist comments; references to drugs; sexually explicit photos, text messages or videos; obvious displays of weapons or bombs and clear, identifiable violent activity.
 
While some have expressed concern that Social Intelligence invades the privacy of employees and brings information to light that should not be relevant in hiring decisions, Social Intelligence says the their services actually stop illegal discrimination.
 
“Googling someone is ridiculously unfair,” said Max Drucker, chief executive of Social Intelligence. “An employer could discriminate against someone inadvertently. Or worse, they are exposing themselves to all kinds of allegations about discrimination.”
 
Drucker told CNN that all the information Social Intelligence searches is publicly available on the internet.  Social Intelligence never sees or shows the employers information that is illegal to use in hiring, such as religion or race.  He also says that if employers decide to use his company, Social Intelligence requires that the employer does not perform his or her own Google screening.
 
Want to make sure that you’ve got a clean online record?  The Washington Post suggests Reputation.com, which will monitor your data and keep you in check.
 
What do you think, collegiettes™?  Is Social Intelligence invading our privacy or providing a needed service?  Tell us in the comments!