Spotlight for Career Services Professionals
Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals
August 29, 2012 

California is in line to become the latest state to bar employers from asking employees or job seekers for access to their social media accounts. Maryland and Illinois both have enacted similar legislation.  

Last week, the California Senate unanimously approved the measure, which would prohibit an employer from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant to disclose a username or password so the employer could gain access to his or her profile.  

Furthermore, the bill would prohibit an employer from discharging, disciplining, or retaliating against an employee or applicant for not complying with a request for social media account access.  

The bill now goes to the assembly for a final vote before moving on to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.  

(Note: Requiring job candidates to provide logins/passwords as part of the recruiting process violates the NACE Principles for Professional Practice.)