theForum

I had to turn down a promotion due to potential Google effect - gutted!


https://forum.unlock.org.uk/Topic36411.aspx

By RunningMan - 24 Sep 26 8:16 PM

Long story short: I was offered a role in a new company. It did not require a DBS nor was it in any regulated sectors. My conviction is spent and has been for years. Once I got into the onboarding process, a 'vetting' company contacted me wanting to know previous names/addresses etc. My name change was quite recent so I have not built up enough years with this new name to be able to circumvent these unfair questions. This could have led to the possibility of my previous identity being disclosed and it would not take long for them to find the odd internet story here or there, despite my best efforts at playing 'wack-a-mole' with Google. I assessed the risk as being too high so I withdrew. Thankfully I was able to keep my original job. Has anyone else had experience of these sorts of low-level vetting processes? Did your previous name come up? And did they then 'dig deeper' and pass on all this to the employer?

BTW - I know Unlock is doing its very best when it comes to lobbying government about the unfair and unjust impact of the google effect but now with AI turbocharging this whole arena and basically offering any HR team an extremely powerful, free background checker, the need for the ROA to be brought into the 21st Century - and applied without exception to these tech giants - is more pressing than ever.

RM
By JASB - 23 Oct 26 3:16 PM

Goldeneye - 23 Oct 26 10:50 AM
My work has always been 'HR adjacent', I have an HR degree and my CIPD certification. When making hiring decisions with respect to anyone with a conviction there are two main things to focus on: 1. Your (as the employer) responsibility to keep your employees safe. 2. Protecting the reputation of the company.
We do live in a world where point two is, perhaps, more key - specifically when hiring people with certain offences. I have worked in organisations where we have knowingly had people with all sorts of convictions, even murder. The one that was always challenging was sexual offences - there was a risk of a 'mob mentality' to break out if it were to be discovered, or public backlash against the brand. I have employed many people with such offences, but we were always careful to make sure there was no public trail that would lead to a 'discovery'. I have worked in organisations that have hired someone with an offence that was declared, and have ended their employment when it was discovered. It sounds harsh, but keeping an individual safe with an offence that is deemed morally repugnant is near impossible.

Anyway, to today where I sit with such an offence, struggling to find work. I have been doing quite a bit of research on what can be found online about me. At the time of the sentencing there was a fair bit that hit the press. There was one court reporter, and what ended up being reported was no exactly accurate, and had been 'sexed up'. What is concerning, there are social media groups that seem to be trawling the web (using AI, I presume), finding stories and either re-writing them or having AI do it to further embellish the story. I'm assuming just for the views. It also seems as if some group members are using AI to track down profiles of people with offences, or even people who may be related etc.

AI is unregulated. It can do some genuinely wonderful things, but it can also be used for some unhelpful or terrifying things. Now, what these people are doing is concerning, but what I find worrying is that in effect by asking  AI to do these things, it is almost training itself. And anyone that has worked with AI, it doesn't worry if it gets things right or wrong, and has no sense of morality. 

Hi
what you suggesting some individuals are using AI for is probably true in ways; and would be very simple for it to do. Im playing with AI to undertake certain accounting jobs but without certain information it cant do everything, possibly make a guess but that's it - I believe for the common user.

Your reporter etc are just trying to push their own agenda; their own self promoting one.

Though I agree and support the idea that AI is progressing too fast and in some aspects out of control, however I believe  if  certain people in this world restrain themselves it could be beneficial.
In some small ways you could say it is like "Brexit", the majority thought it was great and go for it without all the facts and just trusting the word of Politian's. Now what is happening!!