Is It Ethical to Use Facebook or LinkedIn for Candidate Reference Checks in India?

Dear Members,

Our management wants to conduct reference checks via Facebook or LinkedIn by posting a form with the details of the candidate. Is it ethical in an Indian context?

Dear Veenita,

LinkedIn may still be a valid platform as it covers the professional persona of a person; however, the validity of data collected from Facebook has always been in question. In my opinion, Facebook is not a reliable medium for background verification. As far as ethics are concerned, background verification is done after obtaining due permission from the candidate. If the candidate agrees and is aware of the procedure, whether it is Facebook or LinkedIn, it is very much ethical.

Regards,
Rahul