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In most countries polygraph tests are inadmissible in court.

They are typically used in criminal investigations as a way to make suspects feel uneasy so investigators can pick up visual tells.

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The example here is somebody who apparently needs to take one to access some confidential information - and clearly they take a pass/fail seriously, so it seems some (presumably US?) government agencies do take it seriously enough to make passing one a security requirement.

Good point. A quick Google search doesn't seem to bring up any laws that prevent employers from using polygraph results in determining whether to hire or fire someone.

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