The use of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook by employers to vet potential employees could see companies sued for discrimination new research has claimed.

According to research conducted by psychology consultancy OPP, employers to check the social networking sites of potential employees could be breaking the law.

The Scotsman reports that Rob Bailey, from OPP, said that any candidate rejected for a job could claimed that the decision had been made on ‘subjective biases’ instead of through ‘work related criteria’ should their social media feeds have been read prior to their interview.

The survey, which involved 1,000 people, revealed that around two-thirds of employers checked social networking sites to gain insight into candidates suitability for a role.

Bailey warned that such actions could see an unsuccessful applicant claim that their potential employer had discriminated against them in doing so.