California Law Prevents Employers from Demanding Social Media Access

By Karla Robinson
October 1, 2012

California Governor Jerry Brown announced on Facebook his signing of two privacy laws protecting social media accounts.
“Today I am signing Assembly Bill 1844 and Senate Bill 1349, which prohibit universities and employers from demanding your email and social media passwords,” he wrote in the September 27 Facebook post. “These laws protect Californians from unwarranted invasions of their social media accounts.”
“AB 1844 was designed to prohibit employers from requiring an employee or job applicant to provide their username and password for social media accounts,” CNET reports. “Assemblymember Nora Campos, who authored the bill, called AB 1844 a ‘preemptive measure’ that will offer guidelines to the accessibility of private information behind what she calls the ‘social media wall.'”
There are more than 100 cases involving employer workplace policies around social media currently in front of the National Labor Relations Board. There has also been an increase in reports of employers trying to gain inappropriate access to Facebook accounts.
CNET cites the Michigan teacher’s aide that drew attention after being suspended for refusing to provide the school access to her Facebook account.
“SB 1349 is a companion bill to AB 1844,” the article explains, “and focuses on prohibiting colleges and universities from demanding social media usernames and passwords from students and prospective students.”

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