Past Weeks in Review have recounted many tales of Facebook-induced terminations. Fired for Facebook comments? Check. Fired for Facebook photos? Check. Fired for Facebook Likes? Check and check below. But fired for “friending” someone on Facebook? That is precisely what happened to a Georgia county deputy who wanted to be “Facebook friends” with an inmate. The two struck up sexually-charged conversations while she was being held in the county jail, and it appears the deputy wanted to keep contact after she was released on bond. Turns out neither the Sheriff’s office nor the inmate’s boyfriend thought that was a very good idea. The boyfriend complained and the Sheriff’s office fired the deputy.
Other workers who lost their jobs this week due (allegedly) to online activity include: a Library of Congress employee who liked a Facebook page which supports gay parents, a city budget clerk who sent an email to city council members about alleged overtime-pay violations, and a Sberbank employee who posted a bad joke about the bank’s clients on the lender’s Twitter and Facebook pages.
Technology in the Workplace
GA Jailer Fired After Sending Facebook Friend Request to Inmate (FOX)
Facebook “Like” Outs Gay Fremont Man, Costs Him Job at Library of Congress, Lawsuit Says (MLive)
Sberbank Employee Fired for Tweet (Moscow Times)
Budget Clerk Allegedly Fired for Emailing City Council Members About FLSA Violations, Now Suing the City (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Show and Tell for Teachers, Inspired by Reality TV (NY Times)
Technology and the Law
6th Circuit Oks Warrantless Tracking of Cellphones (ABA Journal) (CNET)
Judge Tosses Lawsuit Over FBI Surveillance of California Mosques (ABA Journal) (LA Times)
NJ Mom Sues Over Breast-Feeding Video-Turned-Porn (Boston Globe)
Google To Pay Record Fine Over Safari Privacy Violations (FTC) (Huffington Post)
Create a Digital Will to Manage Your Online Accounts When You’re Gone (NBC)
There’s an App for That
Toutapp Tracks Who Reads Your Outlook Email, Attachments (CBS)
What’s Privacy Worth? Facedeals App to Scan Your Face in Exchange for Discounts (NBC)
Hot Dogs Won’t Roast With Owner-Texting Collar (NBC)
UnBaby.me Deletes Baby Pictures From Facebook (CBS)
Post Card on the Run App Sends Physical Postcard From Your Smartphone (PeterGreenberg.com)