According to huntonprivacyblog.com, On April 9, 2012, Maryland became the first state to pass legislation that would prevent employers from asking or forcing employees and applicants to hand over their social media login credentials. The bill, which passed the state Senate unanimously (Senate Bill 433) and the House of Delegates by a wide margin (House Bill 964), now awaits Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s signature.
The proposed law would prohibit any “person engaged in a business, an industry, a profession, a trade, or other enterprise in the state, or a unit of State or local government” from requesting or requiring that an employee or applicant disclose any username, password or other means for accessing a personal account or service through an electronic communications device.
The Maryland bill also bars employers from firing, disciplining or otherwise penalizing an employee, or failing or refusing to hire an applicant, who refuses to disclose such information. Although the law appears to be relatively broad in scope, critics have noted that it would not prevent employers from “shoulder surfing” to see what employees or applicants have posted online, or from requiring employees to “friend” them on social media sites.
Read the whole story HERE.
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