In Washington State, employees no longer have to worry about the boss asking for access to their social networks. Now, locking down your profiles to prevent prying eyes should keep the people who matter from seeing something that could get you canned.
(Photo Credit: Tom Hilton/Flickr)
Not that there should be incriminating or inappropriate content on your profiles anyway (right?!), but if there is anything, then rest assured that the state of Washington protects its residences from the prying and judging eyes of their employers. In other words, the new bill makes it illegal for employers to request your social media login credentials, to force you to “friend” them, or demand a peek while you’re scrolling through your news feeds. However, employers can still take a look if there is a legitimate reason to search an employee’s profiles to “protect proprietary information or trade secrets, to comply with federal financial regulations, or to prevent the employer from being exposed to legal liabilities.” (National Conference of State Legislatures site.)
To further support the bill, GeekWire recently conducted a poll and found that 96 percent of people were in favor of the law being passed to protect their online privacy, making it crystal clear that the general public is adamant about keeping employers out of their personal business.
Backgroundcheck.org‘s infographic provides an all-encompassing synopsis of the entire debate and what it means for professionals.
(Source: Backgroundcheck.org)
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