Maryland Legislature to Employers: Hands Off Facebook Passwords

http://www.aclu.org/blog/technology-and-liberty/maryland-legislature-employers-hands-facebook-passwords

Maryland just passed the nation's first-ever bill barring employers from asking for the social media passwords of job applicants and employees.

The ACLU of Maryland helped Robert Collins to make headlines after his employer, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, asked for his Facebook password during a reinstatement interview after a leave of absence following a death in his family. Feeling that he had no choice — your privacy or your livelihood? Really? — Collins turned over his password, but, in his words, "I felt violated, I felt disrespected, I felt that my privacy was invaded. But not only my privacy, the privacy of my friends and that of my family that didn't ask for that." And, on his way out of the interview, he called the ACLU of Maryland.

Right now, there are bills to prohibit employers/educators from accessing applicants'/employees'/students' private social networking accounts pending in Illinois, California, Minnesota, Michigan, and Massachusetts. A similar bill may soon be introduced in New Jersey, and Illinois' bill has already passed its House!

Plus, no matter where you live, you can urge Congress to pass similar legislation @ https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4264&s_subsrc=120323_FBpassword_ac. Demand your dotRights @ http://www.dotrights.org/ (you can keep up with the campaign on Twitter and Facebook!). After all, your online privacy should be up to you, not the state you live in or your employer or school's whims.