Heinrich Introduces Password Protection Act

Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., today introduced a bill that would bar employers from requiring  job applicants or employees to provide them access to their passwords for social media accounts such as Facebook.

“Employers demanding Facebook passwords or confidential information on other social networks is an egregious privacy violation and should be against the law,” Heinrich said in a statement. “Personal information like race, religion, age, and sexual orientation is often accessible on social networking profiles, and by having access to this information employers could discriminate against an applicant who would otherwise be qualified for a job. In an ever expanding world of technology, we need to have clear laws on the books to protect Americans’ right to privacy.”

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., has also co-sponsored the bill along with 10 other House Democrats.

Here’s some information about Heinrich’s bill, according to his Washington office:

The Password Protection Act of 2012 enhances current law to prohibit employers from compelling or coercing employees into providing access to their private accounts:

• Prohibits an employer from forcing prospective or current employees to provide access to their own private account as a condition of employment.
• Prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against a prospective or current employee because that employee refuses to provide access to a password-protected account.
• The Password Protection Act only prohibits adverse employment related actions as a consequence of an employee’s failure to provide access to their own private accounts. It preserves the rights of employers to:
• Permit social networking within the office on a voluntary basis.
• Set policies for employer-operated computer systems.
• Hold employees accountable for stealing data from their employers.
• Employers that violate the Password Protection Act may face financial penalties.