>...the reason this is so alarming is because eventually, EVERY employer may ask this and then you simply won't have a choice.
At that point, I would start my own company, we wouldn't check Facebook accounts (and would let people know this) and we would have a line out the door of job applicants who want their privacy respected.
What if you worked in some sort of regulated, specialized industry and were unable to set up your own company? What if you worked in one organization for a long time, built up seniority and benefits, and suddenly they changed their rules and you had to either quit or let them view your private accounts?
It seems to me that this is clearly the sort of thing that should be illegal because there is a huge imbalance in terms of bargaining power in these situations.
At that point, I would start my own company, we wouldn't check Facebook accounts (and would let people know this) and we would have a line out the door of job applicants who want their privacy respected.