A Thunder Bay reader’s experience is a reminder that online posts can be part of a real-world background check
THUNDER BAY — This week, NetNewsLedger received a message from a reader who learned a hard lesson about the modern internet: what you write online can show up in places you never expected — including a job search.
The reader said their comments on a Facebook post on the Thunder Bay News page were seen by a prospective employer who had Googled their name as part of a background check.
The surprise wasn’t that an employer searched — that is now common — but that the commenter didn’t realize their replies were effectively public.
It’s a situation that plays out more often than many people think. Social media has become the community bulletin board, the debate hall, the complaint desk, and the comedy club — all at once. But it’s also a permanent record, searchable and shareable, where context can disappear and consequences can arrive later.
“I didn’t know it was public” is more common than you’d think
Platforms like Facebook can feel personal because we use them socially — to keep up with family, friends, and local updates. But when you comment on a public page (like a news page, business page, or public group), your comment may be visible far beyond your friends list.
Even when privacy settings limit who can see your profile details, comments on public posts can be seen, shared, screen-captured, and sometimes indexed.
Depending on settings and the nature of the page or post, your name may also become clickable to anyone viewing the thread.
That doesn’t mean every comment is automatically “bad.” Many are harmless, thoughtful, funny, or civic-minded. The issue is the gap between what people believe they’re doing (“talking in a familiar local space”) and what the system is actually doing (“publishing a statement under your name in a searchable environment”).
The new background check: Google first, questions later
In 2026, a name search is often the first step in a hiring process — not because every employer is looking for wrongdoing, but because they’re trying to reduce risk and assess judgment.
What employers may look for:
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Signs of harassment or threats
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Discriminatory language
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Extreme or aggressive behaviour
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Confidentiality breaches
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Patterns of hostility toward customers, coworkers, or the public
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Posts that suggest poor impulse control
And they don’t always look deeply. Sometimes it’s a quick scan of the first page of results. Sometimes it’s a glance at a profile preview or a screenshot someone else posted.
The danger for job seekers is that one comment, taken out of context, can become the impression that sticks.
Why a single comment can hit harder than you expect
Context collapses online
A remark that makes sense in a long thread can look very different when it’s pulled out and viewed alone. Tone, sarcasm, and back-and-forth nuance often vanish.
Anger travels farther than nuance
Social platforms tend to amplify conflict. Heated replies can float to the top. Screenshots travel. And what felt like a fleeting moment can become something that resurfaces months or years later.
Public forums don’t feel public
Local pages can feel like a neighbourhood conversation — but they are more like a microphone in a crowded room. The audience isn’t just Thunder Bay residents. It can include journalists, employers, family members, and strangers.
What you can do right now to protect your digital footprint
This isn’t about telling people to stop speaking. It’s about helping people understand where they’re speaking and how to reduce unintended consequences.
1) Assume public means permanent
If you’re commenting on a public page or public group, treat it as if it could be read by:
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an employer,
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a future client,
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a professor,
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a landlord,
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or a family member.
2) Audit your public-facing presence
Try Googling your name (and common variations). Check:
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Facebook public comments
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old usernames
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public profiles or community posts
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tagged photos
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public likes/reactions in political or controversial threads
3) Review Facebook privacy settings — but don’t rely on them completely
Privacy settings matter, but they don’t guarantee privacy in public spaces. Even if your profile is locked down:
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your comments on public pages may still be visible
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your name can still appear
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screenshots can still be taken
4) Delete what you can — and learn what you can’t
You can remove comments you posted, but:
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someone may have already screen-captured them
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cached versions may exist for a time
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reposts may remain elsewhere
5) Slow down before posting
A useful rule: if you wouldn’t put it on a sign with your name on it, don’t post it.
If you’re angry, type it out — then don’t hit send for 10 minutes.
6) Consider separating identities (carefully)
Some people use different accounts for professional and personal life. That can help, but platforms increasingly link identities through friends, photos, and cross-posting. If you do this, be consistent and cautious.
What employers should do — and where fairness matters
There’s also a responsibility on the hiring side. Social media can be misleading: people share political opinions, vent after a bad day, or argue in ways they wouldn’t in the workplace. Employers should consider:
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Is the content recent?
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Is it a pattern or a one-off?
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Is it truly about safety/harassment/discrimination — or just a viewpoint?
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Could this be misattributed or edited?
A fair process means using online information carefully, verifying context, and not relying on viral fragments. But job seekers should still assume the internet will not give them the benefit of the doubt.
A Thunder Bay lesson with a universal message
In a community the size of Thunder Bay, reputations travel fast — and digital reputations travel faster. What used to be said at a coffee shop or on a street corner now happens on platforms that can carry it into a hiring office, a classroom, or a courtroom of public opinion.
The reader who contacted NetNewsLedger wasn’t alone, and won’t be the last. The modern reality is simple: your online voice is part of your public record — whether you intended it that way or not.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: speak online as if the audience includes your future self — and your future opportunities.
