Measures sought to define professional usage of Facebook
A new law is being considered in Germany that could set a
precedent internationally on how much businesses can use material
on sites like Facebook and Twitter to gain information on current
or prospective employees.
German lawmakers are considering a draft bill that is framed
around the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which has
been incorporated into the national laws of all EU member
states.
It seeks to balance Article 8 of the Convention - which
stipulates that ‘everyone has a right to respect for his private
and family life, his home and his correspondence’ - proportionately
with Article 8(2), which set limits for the preceding article,
including for the protection of the rights and freedom of
others.
The need for clarification on the use of such information was
exemplified recently in a case involving a British probation
officer. Lawrence Pay was sacked after his employers found
information on his Facebook page that they felt compromised his
professional integrity.
Mr Pay said his dismissal infringed his right to respect for his
private life under Article 8 and freedom of expression under
Article 10. A tribunal found, however, that his activities were in
the public domain and upheld the dismissal.
A grey area remains, however as, in commenting on the case, the
ECHR said there is a right to identity and personal development
which may include business-related activities, creating a zone of
interaction, even in a public context, which may fall within the
scope of “private life”.