Ethical issues with Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical issues with Facebook - Essay Example Many comments are made on Facebook, especially on an individual’s personal profile. For the majority of people these comments do not resolve in conflict, specifically work-related conflict. However, it is getting more and more difficult to separate Facebook from the workplace. Employers are now utilizing Facebook as a means for hire or no hire depending on the profile. An interview may be determined by whether or not an interviewee has photos of him or herself intoxicated with supporting graphic posts that employers do not find desirable in coworkers. Likewise, a presentable profile may increase the chances of a person being hired. Employers are attempting to observe who potential hires truly are and how they carry on in their daily lives as a way to weed out problematic hires. The same is true for an employee’s current boss, or employer who may keep tabs on the employee to make sure he or she is a consistently presentable person as that employee is in some way or anoth er a representation of the company. No employer wants an employee to state that they work for their company on Facebook then flood their profile with vulgar or inappropriate information. Unsuitable photos or language on Facebook is not the only concern potential applicants have when being inspected by an employer (mostly without their knowledge). Facebook gives the user the option to post their religion, race, age, health, and political views making it an unethical resource. Employers should not be granted this information as it may stipulate unjust action. The employer is open to discriminate an applicant based on this information that would otherwise not be at their disposal. â€Å"It is unfair for employers, absent express permission from an employee or potential employee, to find ways to check these sites, which are created, in most cases, for friends, family, and social acquaintances† (Marshall). Not only is that important to recognize when signing up for Facebook, but i t is also crucial to know that future employers are not the only ones who are eager to view and use an individual’s profile page for some thing other than what it is intended. Facebook exploited a new Terms of Service in 2009. It states: You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or th e promotion thereof. (Marshall) The ethical debate in this instance include normative, which determines the right course of action using ethics, and applied, which helps establish what feats need to take place to resolve this case. Ethics is called for in this situation because the issue involves an imposition of rights of Facebook’s users, which is unethical. It is unethical for two reasons. One, Facebook