Alabama Background Check Law Raises Privacy Concerns

Employers and screening providers are expanding identity and background checks, prompting questions about privacy, fairness and job access. A new Alabama system centralizes checks, lets employers receive real-time updates about employees’ records and extends access to more organizations; supporters say it can reduce paperwork and errors, while advocates worry about document security and added barriers for people with nonviolent convictions. Separately, a UK employee with 25 years of service questioned whether an employer can require a DBS check and copies of identity documents, particularly when the employee has no direct contact with vulnerable people. First Advantage and ID.me have also launched an FCRA-compliant identity-verification product for hiring, designed to detect recruitment fraud and provide results within background-screening reports.