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California governor signs laws protecting social media accounts from employers, universities

California governor signs laws protecting social media accounts from employers, universities

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governor jerry brown (official)
governor jerry brown (official)

The fight to prevent California employers and universities from demanding your Facebook login as a condition of employment or enrollment officially ended on Thursday, as California governor Jerry Brown announced his signing of Assembly Bill 1844 and Senate Bill 1349. The two laws passed in the state Senate last month.

AB–1844 prevents employers from asking workers for social media usernames or passwords, or logging into social media in their presence. It also protects workers from employer retaliation in the case they fail to comply with these kinds of demands. And university students and employees are gaining new protections as well. SB-1349 provides the same rights to students (either prospective or attending) at the state's public and private postsecondary institutions. The bills mirror similar legislation passed in Maryland, Delaware, and Illinois.