BOZEMAN - The Bozeman City Commission has voted to eliminate a hiring policy that allowed the city to look at information found on social networking sites in considering job applications.

Commissioners also told city administrators that any other changes to the city's hiring policies must be approved by the commission.

KBZK-TV reported last Wednesday that applicants for city jobs were asked for usernames and passwords for Web sites and social networking sites. The city suspended requests for passwords on Friday and on Monday said it would no longer review social networking sites when considering job applicants.

Commissioner Jeff Rupp called the policy an "egregious violation of privacy," and asked why it wasn't vetted by the legal and information technology departments before being added to city hiring manuals.