California is the latest state to enact legislation restricting the circumstances under which employers or schools can demand access to employees’ or students’ personal social media accounts.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills into law on Sept. 27.  The first, A.B. 1844, bars employers from requiring or requesting that employees or job applicants disclose personal social media usernames or passwords, access personal social media accounts in the employer’s presence, or otherwise “[d]ivulge any personal social media.” Employers are barred from firing or otherwise retaliating against anyone who refuses to comply with a request that is prohibited under the law. Employers may require employees to disclose information needed to access employer-issued devices and may request access to personal social media the employer reasonably believes is relevant to a misconduct investigation.

S.B. 1349 creates parallel protections for students, prospective students and student groups at public and private colleges and universities.Continue Reading New California Laws Restrict Employer, College Access to Personal Social-Media Content