Governor Jerry Brown announced yesterday over social media sites that he has signed into law two bills that protect the privacy of California social media users.
The bills, Assembly Bill 1844 and Senate Bill 1349, will prohibit employers and universities, respectively, from demanding that applicants divulge their email or social media account passwords.
AB 1844 was introduced by Nora Campos (D-San Jose) and bans employers from discharging or disciplining employees who refuse to divulge their account passwords. The bill does not infringe on employers’ rights to investigate workplace misconduct.
Similarly, SB 1349, which was introduced by Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), is designed to stop colleges and universities from invading the privacy of their students. The bill prohibits public and private postsecondary education institutions from requiring students, prospective students, and student groups to disclose social media account information. The bill does not prevent the institution from the right to investigate or punish student misconduct.
Both bills passed without opposition in the Legislature.
“The Golden State is pioneering the social media revolution, and these laws will protect all Californians from unwarranted invasions of their personal social media accounts,” Brown said.
