See also: Maryland passes electronic privacy bill for further details.4-11-2012 Maryland:
Maryland's General Assembly passed the first bill of its kind prohibiting employers from asking for the personal online information and was inspired by the controversy surrounding Maryland Corrections Officer Robert Collins, whose employers demanded his Facebook password as a condition of future employment. Collins took his case to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed suit, bringing the issue to Congress.
Maryland ACLU legislative director Melissa Goemann said the ban "trail-blazed a new frontier in protecting freedom of expression in the digital age, and has created a model for other states to follow."
Additional legislation in other states and even a federal level may be next, as lawmakers all over the U.S. are turning their attention to this issue. Illinois and Michigan are gearing up on similar bills, while Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) announced his intention to sponsor a federal bill banning employers from asking for passwords or requiring candidates to "friend" them on Facebook.
The campaign to legislate this issue is increasingly partisan, with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives shooting down a "Mind Your Own Business On Passwords" provision, which attempted to outline the practice on a different bill earlier this year.
The need for guidelines is growing, shown by U.K. business psychology firm OPP's study finding over half of employers look at their prospects' Facebook information as part of the hiring process, so these new regulations could have a major effect on the employment process.
The Maryland bill sends a message to employers to stop snooping and adds a new wrinkle to the partisan fighting over privacy regulations. Companies and organizations may be reluctant to ease up on Facebook investigations, but more laws are likely in the pipeline to stop the practice. ..Source.. by Kate Knibbs
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