Best Social Media Background Check
Trusted by Leading Corporations Worldwide to Deliver Fast, Accurate, and Ethical Background Checks
Extensive Social Media Coverage
We analyze posts, comments, and interactions across multiple social media platforms.
Detailed Reporting
Receive reports highlighting potentially harmful content related to unlawful activity, sexually explicit material, violent behavior, racism, or intolerance.
Fast Turnaround and Low pricing
Results are typically available within 1-2 business days. GBS provides hassle-free reporting with no setup fees or required subscriptions, ensuring you get the information you need quickly and efficiently.
Compliance and Reliability
GBS conducts all social media checks in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and GDPR, ensuring lawful use of information for employment decisions.
What's Included in a Social Media Background Check?
Social media background checks include an abstract of the applicant's social footprint, an analysis of all their profiles, a graph indicating the number of posts flagged for each behavioral attribute, a word cloud providing insight into the topics your subject refers to most often, posts and followers, and a breakdown of all flagged posts. ​
Social Media Screening's Red Flag Categories
The red flag behavior categories are listed below. With GBS, you can trust in a service that respects privacy, values accuracy, and enhances your decision-making process with comprehensive digital insights.
Gory Image / Video
Images of disfigurations, open wounds, burns, crime scenes, and fighting.
Politics / Government
Posts relating to politics or governmental affairs. This could include politicians, policies, or the political process. These often focus on specific issues such as abortion, environmental, immigration, etc.
Self Harm
Indications of wanting to hurt oneself or take one's own life intentionally. This could also be mentions of suicide or suicidal behavior in others.
Disparaging
Name-calling, disrespectful, or derogatory statements toward an individual or group about their physical characteristics such as weight, height, looks, intelligence, etc.
Nudity Image / Video
Images of explicit nudity, adult content, and pornographic content.
Profanity
Obscene language, cursing, swearing, or in general crude or vulgar words and phrases.
Suggestive
Includes expressions relating to sexual misconduct that could be considered sexually demeaning or sexual harassment.
Prejudice
Derogatory, abusive, and/or threatening statements toward a specific group of people typically on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Drug Images / Video
Images of pills, syringes, paraphernalia. It may include smoking, drinking, and injections.
Threats
An intent to inflict harm or loss of another person's life
Drug / Alchohol Mention
Statements relating to drugs and alcohol use including slang words, street names, and phrases.
Frequently Asked Questions on a Social Media Background Check
What is a social media background check include?
Criminal Records, Civil Records, Credit Reports, Drug Testing, Conviction Monitoring (1 Year), Adverse Media, Social Media Search, Right to Work, Bankruptcy Search, Lien Search, Terrorist Watch list and Global Sanctions, Healthcare Screening and more. Our platform provides you the option to add or adjust all our different types of background check services. View pricing and select only what you need!
Is a social media background check legal?
Yes, when conducted within the guidelines of the FCRA, EEOC and GDPR, it is legal for employment screening purposes, provided the candidate has given informed consent. Read more regarding: Can an employer not hire you because of your soical media posts
What can I do if I find negative information in a social media check?
Employers must follow the adverse action process, including a pre-adverse action notice and an opportunity for the candidate to dispute before a final decision is made.
Can background checks see private profiles?
No, background checks cannot access private social media profiles. Our social media background checks only analyze publicly available information. We respect privacy laws and ethical guidelines, ensuring that only public posts and interactions that are visible to everyone are included in our reports. This approach complies with legal standards, including those set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), ensuring that all background screening processes are both ethical and legal.
Are employers notified if a social media profile is set to private?
Yes, our reports will indicate if a social media profile is set to private and therefore not accessible during our background check. This ensures transparency with employers about the scope of information reviewed.
What is the process for initiating a background check with GBS?
The process is simple: Sign up on our platform, select the necessary checks, and submit applicant's name(s) and email address(s). We then handle the rest! The checks can be initiated anytime through our online portal 24/7.
What additional insights does the social media checker provide beyond flagging posts, shares, and likes?
The report offers a comprehensive analysis including a Word Cloud to visualize common themes, a Social Proof Abstract summarizing online interactions, and metrics like follower, following, and post counts. It also includes a Behavior Composition overview to assess the nature of the activity, and links to specific posts for direct review.
Can GBS conduct checks for specific industries like healthcare or sports associations, and screening contractors ?
Yes, GBS provides background checks for all types of employment, including contract, temporary positions and volunteers, ensuring thorough vetting regardless of the employment duration.
How far back does a social media check go?
In compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), our social media background checks can cover up to the last 7 years of online activity. Clients can choose between a 3-year or 7-year lookback period based on their specific requirements and the nature of the position being filled.
Should employers conduct social media background checks?
Absolutely. The prevalence of social media checks has increased dramatically, with a significant uptick observed since 2024. Data suggests that more than 70% of employers now consider social media profiles as part of their background screening process to get a fuller picture of potential hires. Social media can provide insights into a candidate’s behavior and values outside the confines of a resume or interview. These checks allow employers to assess how a candidate’s online persona might align with their organization’s culture and values, offering a broader perspective or "social proof" of the individual's suitability for the role. Such screenings are particularly valuable in today’s digital age, where much of our professional and personal lives are visible online.
What advantages do personal background checks offer for social media?
Personal background checks on social media can help individuals understand how they are perceived publicly online. This can be especially useful for those in or entering professions where personal image and public interactions are closely scrutinized. By reviewing your social media activity, you can identify and address potentially harmful or inappropriate content that could adversely affect your personal or professional relationships. Furthermore, it helps in maintaining a clean and positive online presence, crucial in today's digital world where many first impressions are formed online.