News outlets have been buzzing this week with reports of companies asking job applicants to submit their Facebook passwords as part of the hiring process.

Justin Bassett, a statistician from New York, had an experience first hand with an overly invasive employer At the end of his interview, after a series of obligatory interview questions were asked, his interviewer searched for his Facebook profile on her computer. She discovered his profile had high privacy settings, meaning a minimal amount of information is shared.

Not satisfied with her findings, the employer asked Bassett to reveal his login email and password. Bassett immediately declined and withdrew his application for employment with that company.         

Similar cases are popping up all over the nation, and are becoming more prevalent as time goes on. Some believe this practice takes background checks a step too far.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal are taking a stand against this new trend.

“Employers have no right to ask job applicants for their house keys or to read their diaries – why should they be able to ask them for their Facebook passwords and gain unwarranted access to a trove of private information about what we like, what messages we send to people, or who we are friends with?” Schumer said in a press release.

Police officers and 911 dispatcher hopefuls, along with other positions in public agencies, have received such requests.

The United States senators plan to ask the U.S. Department of Justice to determine whether companies demanding access to Facebook accounts of employees and prospective employees are in violation of federal law.

The laws in question are the Stored Communications Act, which prohibits the intentional access to electronic information without authorization, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which prohibits intentional access to a computer without the authorization to obtain information.          

“I am confident the investigation will show it does [violate federal law],” Schumer said in the release.

Facebook’s management agrees. The social networking site’s chief privacy officer of policy Erin Egan posted some opinions of the company Friday.          

“If you are a Facebook user, you should never have to share your password,” Egan said.         

Andrew Noyes , one of Facebook’s spokespeople, further noted the self-proclaimed “social utility” company has no plans at the moment to take legal action on any of the practicing companies. However, they do recommend such companies heed caution.       

 Facebook has more than their users’ interests in mind.

“For example, if an employer sees on Facebook that someone is a member of a protected group, that employer may open themselves up to claims of discrimination if they don’t hire that person,” Egan said.         

Others regard the practice as a sample of what will continue to penetrate society in the future. In a time where a person’s Facebook profile is accepted as a reflection of the individual, some may view it as a viable tool for determining applicants’ fitness for employment.