How often do you check to see what information is available about you on Google? I check all the time and before I ever use my real name on any web page, I now always stop to evaluate whether I’d want that information appearing on Google.
In the US, the rights of employers to use Google to do background checks on employees has recently been upheld, and to act upon information that might be found. David Mullins was fired after his employer found out that he had been dismissed in the past for misue of government property.
Being careful about what you say on the internet in my view is very important, particularly as Googling somebody is a very common practice now. I tend to Google the names of most people I’m due to meet at work, and I definitely would Google anyone I’m going to interview for a job. Sometimes I find it hard to not disclose what I learn about people on the web when I meet them, but I find it can be an advantage going into a meeting when I know a bit about the backgrounds of people I’m due to meet.
Googling people has backfired once or twice in my personal life, most notably when I was going to meet a friend of a friend who was in London for a bit from the US on a kind of blind date. Unfortunately, when I Googled her I picked out the wrong (very hot) person in a group photo and when I went to pick her up at her hotel, I nearly left without her as I was looking for totally the wrong person!
