Legislation & Lobbying
States Mull Possible Law to Ban Public Employers from Asking Applicants for Facebook Password
In at least two states, Illinois and Maryland, lawmakers are pondering possible legislation to prohibit public employers from asking job applicants to turn over their passwords to their private Facebook accounts.
While applicants, of course, can always say no to such requests, it’s difficult to do so when a job may be on the line, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the practice is highly invasive of privacy, says law professor Orin Kerr of George Washington University. “It’s akin to requiring someone’s house keys.”
The Daily Mail also has a story.
