Bill would stop employers from forcing access to workers' Facebook pages
COLUMBUS
Prospective employers would be barred from requesting job applicants’ social media site usernames and passwords, under legislation being considered in the Ohio Senate.
Sen. Charleta Tavares offered Senate Bill 45 as a means of stopping employers from forced access to Facebook and other web-based accounts and using the information gathered to discipline current employees or reject potential new hires.
“I understand the need for employers to take proper precautions in order to ensure that they are investing and hiring candidates who are qualified, dependable and astute,” Tavares told a lawmaker panel. “There are procedures in place, such as background checks and drug screenings, that
allow employers to obtain information about employees and applicants. ... However, it is an invasion
of personal privacy for an employer to obtain user information and/or log onto an individual’s account.”
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