Until it reached the end, I thought you were arguing that doing a background check on someone behind their back was the same as all your examples (as in, just because it's there doesn't mean you should take it), but then I realised the were reasons why you think background checks should be done.
Tonberry, I have to agree, I was thinking the same thing when I was initially reading that post.
I take privacy very seriously, not having much of it in some aspects of my life. Both in aspects of what information governments and corporations have any business collecting, and how much of my life has anything to do with private noses...and how much they really need to mind their own $%^&*ng business rather than mine.
I do suspect there will be some heavy cultural differences, and no problems for some people to justify whatever they figure they're entitled to regardless of any notion of respect for others, privacy, or the societal consequences at large. What kind of life remains if every dipshit zealously righteous neighbor on the block is able to run his own gestapo search of your private affairs in the name of 'safety' or whatever the flavour excuse of the week is? To me it is beyond Orwellian.
I would view this kind of action as a total invasion of privacy...(of course the laws north of the border are far more protective of this kind of information, requiring the individuals consent for such searches to be conducted) It really would be analogous to someone breaking and entering into my home to snoop around the medicine cabinet, financial records, etc.
As far as I'm concerned, rather than the paranoia of going behind someone's back to dig up dirt on them, I'd far rather take the time to get to know the person. And to take the proper time and precautions to allow them into my life as quickly or as slowly as respect, trust and reciprocation may allow. I don't mind bringing friends into my home, and see what I'm about. And those who make it past the threshold I trust to respect my space and not go snooping through the filing cabinet where they don't belong.
I have been burned by this in the past. I've had friends steal from me. Friends who I trusted for years. Criminal and background checks would not have warned me of it, or stopped it from happening. But I would far rather be disappointed by a couple of individuals than live my life under a magnifying glass of the random mob of strangers around me.
ETA:
The short answer (imho) as to whether anyone has the
right, is
No! It's in the realm of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."