In the past, it was possible that a potential employer or a school official could ask an applicant or student to turn over passwords related to their various online accounts, but this is no longer the case in California.
Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a pair of bills into law that makes it illegal for employers and colleges to ask people for social media login data, according to a report from the
Associated Press. The first law specifically prohibits employers from asking for details for personal accounts, but those used on company-issued devices are still fair game.
Meanwhile, the other prohibits colleges and univeristies in the state from asking students, current and prospective, to turn over social media usernames and passwords, the report said. Brown called both types of demands for login details to be "unwarranted invasions" of consumers' privacy.
Eduard Goodman, the chief privacy officer for
Identity Theft 911, has more information on his blog about how consumers can do more to protect the safety of their personal information when listing it on a social media site, and how to generally boost their privacy settings.
© 2003-2012 IDentity Theft 911, LLC. All Rights Reserved