California Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) introduced a bill this week that would forbid employers from requesting that job applicants or employees share their social media passwords.
The bill is a result of the recent Associated Press report that some employers are demanding that applicants supply their Facebook and Twitter passwords.
“It is completely unacceptable for an employer to invade someone’s personal social media accounts,” Yee said in a statement. “Not only is it entirely unnecessary, it is an invasion of privacy and unrelated to one’s work performance or abilities.”
Some employers, rather than requesting passwords, are urging potential applicants to log in during the interview process so the employer can peruse the person’s social media profile. The bill would also prohibit this.
“Family photos and non-work social calendars have no bearing on a person’s ability to do their job and therefore employers have no right to demand to review it,” Yee said in a statement.
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