Time and effort are being used here as evidence against wrongdoing, not as something inherently legal or illegal. Think "security footage confirming an alibi". Laws about murder say nothing (or very little) about security footage, but that doesn't mean it can't be used as evidence.
Suppose that it is illegal to discriminate by using information of type A and that the following media transmit the following types of information:
In-person interview (IPI): A,B,C,D,E,F,G
Vague video upload (VVU): A,B
Cover letter + resume (CLR): B,H,I
In this slightly oversimplified example, it would be illegal to request VVU+CLR because the only possible motive for requesting VVU+CLR instead of CLR would be to obtain information that was illegal to use.
Suppose that it is illegal to discriminate by using information of type A and that the following media transmit the following types of information:
In-person interview (IPI): A,B,C,D,E,F,G
Vague video upload (VVU): A,B
Cover letter + resume (CLR): B,H,I
In this slightly oversimplified example, it would be illegal to request VVU+CLR because the only possible motive for requesting VVU+CLR instead of CLR would be to obtain information that was illegal to use.