Intrusive Application Forms

Government invasion of privacy – for example via Identity Cards – is high profile. Arguably a greater danger is when society itself ceases to respect privacy and believes it OK to breach it as a matter of course.

I’ve recently learned via the Liberty discussion board and handbag.com about an organisation called Millenium AuPairs.

I must stress that as far as I know this organisation is entirely reasonable and above board. Unfortunately their application form is not. See here:

Millenum AuPairs registration form

Now, the question about weight might be non-PC, but that’s not the issue. Scroll down and you see that they are asking prospective nannies if they have “ever been a victim of sexual, emotional or physical abuse?”. And “If you have answered yes to any of the above, please give details”. Details!

This is outrageous. Why ask? Are they assuming that victims of abuse are more likely to be abusers? I don’t know. What I do know is that this question is an invasion of privacy.

As chocalatedrop put it on handbag.com:

can you imagine someone asking if you’d ever been raped on an application form in as many words, because this is what is being asked.

OK, this probably doesn’t affect you today. But imagine if this sort of intrusive question becomes accepted practice on any application form…