California Employers Can't Ask For Your Facebook Password

J053 sends word that California has passed legislation making it illegal for both colleges and employers to request social media account access from students, employees, and prospective hires. "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.' ... According to Campos' office, more than 100 cases currently before the National Labor Relations Board involve employer workplace policies around social media. Facebook has also said it has experienced an increase in reports of employers seeking to gain 'inappropriate access' to people's Facebook profiles or private information."

Comments

Finally, a law recognizing privacy

[Anonymous Coward]

Privacy is not dead, it's just losing the war.

Take arms and fight back!

Re:Finally, a law recognizing privacy

[Applekid]

Those constitutional amendments limit the power of the government, not private industry.

But either way, you're right, because the government routinely ignores them anyway.

When I see folks from other countries baffle at the madness going on here, I wish they could understand the US citizenry was tricked and had their country taken over by power-hungry demagogs for the last 100 years (well, 99 years this December), and that we're simply powerless to stop the machine at this point.

Re:Finally, a law recognizing privacy

[rwv]

That sounds like the exact opposite of what it means.

War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.

Re:wow

[realsilly]

Some people don't have a choice, they need the work.

Head shaking moments

[tnk1]

What I don't understand is why employers even think this is reasonable. Yes, yes, I know, corporations bad, but corporations are still made up of humans and you would think some of those humans would understand that this is overreaching into people's private lives.

I don't see what someone's social media accounts have to do with their ability to work. Sure, they may party hard, or bad mouth their employers, but it's not exactly uncommon and it's not going to stop just because people don't put that on their FB account.

I suppose I am not surprised that someone would try this, what I am more surprised about is that they have gotten this far with it. Forcing people to turn over personal information should be something that a corporate legal department knows is going to get them in legal hot water.

Re:I can't even believe it has to be clarified

[jareth-0205]

So get one at a company that doesn't do this. Most (the overwhelming majority of) companies do NOT ask for your FB password. Pick one of those. If everyone does, the companies that ask for FB passwords will either go out of business or change their policy.

I changed jobs about 5 months ago, interviewed at 6 companies, and was never once asked for a FB password. It isn't that hard to find a job at a company that doesn't do this.

People need to grow a fucking backbone.

What the hell is wrong with you? Is it really so impossible for you to imagine not everyone is in the same position as you? There simply aren't enough jobs to go around, and some people around the bottom of the pile are in the position of supporting a family, bills, etc and have very limited options.

Re:Even easier...

[partyguerrilla]

This, if you don't own a facebook account nowadays, you're clearly a terrorist pedophile serial killer mime who hates freedom.