Rep. White’s social media bill makes it out of committee
A bill to protect social media privacy from employer interference made it out of a House committee Tuesday.
House Bill 1130, also known as the Social Media Privacy Act, would make it illegal for employers to ask employees or job candidates for their user names or passwords for social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. It was introduced after a number of states passed similar measures banning the practice over the past year.
“It’s a good example of how current law is not always adequate to deal with new technology,” White said. “The purpose is simply to reinforce what should already be common sense.”
Rep. White, D-Cecil, said he introduced the bill in part because of an experience he had when first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2006.
“I had a blog, the precursor to social media,” White said. “And the House Communications Office asked for my password. I said no, but I had to really think about it.
“I thought back to how I felt sitting there on the spot and how hard it was and it occurred to me this could be a real problem.”
The measure was passed unanimously by the House Labor and Industry committee by a vote of 25-0. It must now wait to be introduced on the House floor by majority leader before the end of the legislative session.