Social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook have created a new ethical dilemma for many companies. Large corporations, small businesses, and even universities struggle to create policies to manage their employees' social media behaviors. Access to social media, especially for recruiters, can provide personal information about potential employees that would otherwise not be available. A company must follow laws and guidelines when disclosing information to the public. Individuals on social networking sites do not experience such constraints. Employees can and do make comments online about their employer. Employers can and do watch what employees post online. Any individual can send or post potentially harmful information about another person, and within seconds, thousands of other people can access it. Companies must protect their reputation while respecting every employee's right to post on social media sites. Consider the employer's perspective. If someone presents themselves as working for the company and then posts a personal message on a highly controversial topic, this could potentially lose the company business and/or damage its public standing. Alternatively, if this person frequently posts about off-duty escapades of an illicit or immoral nature, his or her association with the company could harm the company's good reputation in the community. Worse yet, a post made by an employee could actually land the company in legal trouble by violating solicitation or advertising rules. An employer wants to minimize any harmful publicity, which could include employee posts on social media sites. Just one example of social media use in business shows how the problem... middle of paper ......t results in unethical business behavior. Social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook have created a new ethical dilemma for many businesses. Works Cited Ballenstadt, B. (December 13, 2010). Wired workplace. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from nextgov.com: http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2010/12/twitter_trends_1.phpClean up your Facebook activity. (August 3, 2010). Retrieved March 18, 2011 from Job Interview-solutions.com: http://www.jobinterview-solutions.com/blog/clean-up-your-facebook-act/Ferrell, OC (2011). Business Ethics: Decision Making and Ethical Cases (8th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Hyatt, J. (November 19, 2010). Social Media Ethics – Part I: Adapting to a 24/7 World. Retrieved March 19, 2011 from Business Ethics: http://business-ethics.com/2010/11/19/the-ethics-of-social-media-part-ii-playing-by-new-rules/