LANSING — State Rep. Aric Nesbitt Wednesday introduced legislation prohibiting employers from asking applicants and employees for passwords and other private account information for social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. House Bill 5523 also keeps employers from firing someone or failing to hire someone if they do not provide the account details.
“While our technological advances are beneficial, we must insure that our laws protecting private information advance as well. Social networking sites allow individuals to distinguish between public and private information. Employers and educational institutions should respect that distinction,” said Nesbitt, R-Lawton. “People have the right to share certain parts of their lives with the public, while sharing other parts with only friends and family. Why should privacy barriers be eliminated due to technological advancements? They shouldn’t.”
Nesbitt’s legislation also prohibits educational institutions from asking for private account information and penalizes them for dismissing or failing to admit a student who does not provide such details.
Residents can call Nesbitt’s office at (800) 577-6212 or at (517) 373-0839.