Blog
New Jersey Bans Colleges From Requiring Students’ Social Media Passwords
Blog
January 7, 2013
New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, recently signed a bill intended to protect college students’ social media accounts. The bill prohibits private and public college-level institutions in New Jersey from requiring prospective and/or current students to provide the college with their username and password to all social media sites. The bill also gives students grounds to sue if they believe a college administrator violated their rights by demanding disclosure of their social media passwords and usernames. New Jersey is the third state, after California and Delaware, to bar such behavior. The bill is similar to laws we’ve reported on in other states, including Illinois, Maryland, and California, that make it unlawful for an employer to request or require any employee or prospective employee to disclose their social media account information. Delaware has a similar bill that would limit employers access to social media accounts. However, this bill was returned to the Assembly to add an exception for state and local law enforcement agencies.
Tip: This recent New Jersey law reflects lawmakers’ concerns over forcing individuals to disclose their social media account passwords. Organizations should be careful when designing social media policies to keep these kinds of requirements in mind.
This tip has been created for information and planning purposes. They are not intended to be, nor should they be substituted for, legal advice, which turns on specific facts.
This entry has been created for information and planning purposes. It is not intended to be, nor should it be substituted for, legal advice, which turns on specific facts.