Refresh Your Feed: Updated Guidance On Social Media Background Checks

Social media is ubiquitous. Over 20 million Canadians have a social medial account. It is a major source of information about our friends and the world around us. It is also an important vehicle for recruiting and background information.

Employers will often have good reason to formally check an applicant's social media profile in the hiring process. Many will also do so informally. Recognizing these realities, the BC Information and Privacy Commissioner has provided some updated guidance. The guidance is good advice as well for employers operating in provinces that do not have private sector privacy legislation as various common law principles and human rights law may implicate similar issues.