Two U.S. senators are preparing laws to protect Facebook and social media users from having to disclose passwords to prospective employers.
The proposed laws would also provide protection from compromising photos that have been posted online.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct.) said he's drafting laws that would deal with both problems. "It's not just about Facebook, it's about all social media," he told the Financial Times.
Last month, when reports surfaced that job applicants were being asked to hand over passwords, the House voted down a ban on the practice, which came in an amendment attached to another law.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y), also said he was drafting his own protection laws. He asked the Justice Department for its opinion on whether the practice violates the Stored Communication Act or the Computer Fraud and Security Act.
In a statement, Schumer said, "It is vital that all individuals be allowed to determine for themselves what personal information they want to make public."
Meanwhile, Facebook, the 845-million-member website seeking to go public in a $100 billion initial public offering this quarter, said, "We don't think it's the right thing to do," in a statement referring to the practice.
"As a user, you shouldn't be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job," Facebook's Chief Privacy Officer, Erin Egan, wrote in a blog posting.
Current laws forbid employees from discriminating against job applicants on various grounds such as race, gender, age, national origin, disability or pregnancy. Social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn (Nasdaq: LNKD), though, provide any user with extensive personal details posted by members.
Blumenthal, who served 20 years as Attorney General of Connecticut before entering the Senate last year, said permitting employers to examine social media accounts was like "allowing them to root through an applicant's bedroom at home."
Exemptions should be made for law enforcement professionals or positions involving national security, the senator said.
The Senate is in recess until April 16.
Source:IBTimes
