Candidates should be warned if social networking sites are being used as part of the screening process, according to Adrian Marlowe at legal consultancy Lawspeed.

Speaking at ‘Social Media in Recruitment’, an event organised by online recruitment marketing consultancy Web Based Recruitment, Marlowe told delegates that the Data Protection Act 1998 rules on best practice requires recruiters to inform candidates when reviewing such sites and are going to rely on such information in the screening process as well as explaining any negative decision and allow the candidate to defend their position.

Marlowe said: “Be cautious about information solely on information sites, it is dangerous. It could well be unreliable. If you rely on information that is unreliable, you could be in deep water.”