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I once reached out to someone I knew personally who wasn't as a reference, who then told me that it was his understanding that contacting people for references without the permission of your candidate is illegal. (I'm based in Vancouver, BC, Canada) Can anyone with more knowledge comment further?

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It almost certainly is illegal in Europe under a variety of different laws ranging from data protection to breach of confidence.

The important takeaway here is that if you're going to do it you should clear it with the candidate first.

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