(Image source: Forbes )

 

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN


Big Brother boss, beware. New legislation would make it illegal to force employees to give up their social media passwords.   WRTV explains.

 

“...the Password Protection Act. It would make it illegal for employers to force workers to reveal their passwords. Discussions about the law started several months ago when more employers began trying to monitor private messages to limit embarrassing or damaging information.”

 

The legislation is similar to a bill nicknamed SNOPA introduced last month. Like the Password Protection Act, SNOPA made it illegal to force disclosure of social media passwords — but WGAL notes — the new legislation goes further. 

 

“...extending such limitations to smartphones, private email accounts, photo sharing sites, and any personal information that resides on computers owned by workers.”

 

It’s been introduced in both houses of Congress. The bill’s supporters say it’s in response to a growing number of employers making password sharing compulsory as a condition of employment. 

 

According to ABC — more and more job-seekers are reporting being asked for passwords so potential employers can see restricted profiles.

 

Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal — who sponsored the Senate version — calls that practice “abhorrent.”

 

But ZDNET notes — the legislation leaves out at least one group of big-time social media users.

 

“...this legislation’s protections do not extend to students who are also frequent targets of this practice. Additionally, it allows states and the federal government to exempt some classes of employees...”

 

Those classes of employees who could be exempt include those who deal with national security information.

 

Still — the ACLU blog “Free Future” calls it at least a “good start”:

 

“...the PPA is sweeping in scope. It doesn’t just apply to just Facebook or social networks, but rather to any situation when an employer coerces an employee into providing access to information held on any computer that isn’t owned or controlled by the employer.”

 

Democratic lawmakers introduced the House and Senate versions to their respective chambers Wednesday.