Social Media & Security Clearance

Social Media & Security Clearance

News came from Washington today that investigators can now check social media as part of background checks.

Of course we’re talking about Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

What do you think? Some say “meh” – no big deal, while others are feeling their rights are violated.

The Associated Press reported that the directive allows investigators to collect publicly available information on the person being checked.

The directive says that this would only be done if there is a national security concern or a need to report a crime.

The Hill reports that investigators can’t ask people to provide private passwords.

Officials say they’ve taken privacy rights into account.

The issue of national security vs. individual privacy is certainly nothing new. But this is the freshest case.

Right now, federal background checks consist of a 100+ page form that individuals need to fill out. It asks them about their contact with people from other countries and their mental health status, according to NBC News.

Bottom line … it’s not just your friends or followers who are watching what you do on social media.

You can read the entire directive here.