Background Checks & Social Media

Background Checks and Social Media

Why do background check companies use court documents instead of social media or Google to perform their screens?

Using entities like Facebook and Google can result in discrepancies between a person’s factual history and the information provided online. Online records can also confuse the identity of those who a background check is being conducted on, as they may have common names or even have relatives in which they share a name with.

What does that mean for employers and landlords?

It means that the information found online has no promise of accuracy and can hinder and harm the selection process.

In addition to these concerns, there have been cases where information presented online can be taken out of context such as the case with Sherry Sherrod, the former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the US Department of Agriculture. A blogger posted excerpts that were taken from an event of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People which were misconstrued as racist. The result? Sherry Sherrod was met with demands by government officials to resign. In short, Mrs. Sherrod turned around and sued the blogger and a co-defendant. She was offered a higher position by the USDA but declined.

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