New California Bill Would Extend Social Media Protections To Public-Sector Employees
A new California law creating social media protections for private-sector employees may soon cover public-sector employees as well. The law, set to go into effect January 1, will prohibit private-sector employers from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant to disclose a username or password for the purpose of accessing personal social media (such as Twitter and Facebook), to access personal social media in the presence of the employer, or to divulge any personal social media.
A new bill authored by Assemblywoman Nora Campos (who also introduced the original private-sector bill) would extend those protections to public-sector employees, including employees of charter cities and counties. Additionally, the law would prohibit public sector employers from discharging, disciplining, threatening to discharge or discipline, or otherwise retaliating against an employee or applicant for not complying with a request or demand by the employer that violates this law.
Legislative observers are optimistic about AB 25’s chances of success, since the original private-sector bill passed without opposition in the California assembly and was signed by Governor Jerry Brown earlier this year.
Author: Russell Naymark
