Connecticut Restricts Employer Access to Employees' and Applicants' Social Media

Connecticut has joined a growing number of other states in seeking to protect personal social media accounts of employees and potential hires. In early May, the state's General Assembly passed Senate Bill No. 426 (2015) titled "An Act Concerning Employee Online Privacy."

This law prohibits public and private employers from requiring employees or job applicants to disclose their username and password information connected to their personal Facebook or other online accounts. Employers also cannot require that employees or job applicants access their personal accounts in the employer's presence, nor can they require employees or job applicants to "connect with" or invite the employer to join their personal account networks. 

This Connecticut law likely will take effect October 1, 2015, and could result in civil fines of up to $1000 for repeat offender employers. Other states to have enacted similar laws include California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas, among others.