Legislation to protect employees and job applicant’s privacy passes Oregon State Senate on a near unanimous vote. Individual cases and federal political issues of late have highlighted that some employers and colleges we’re violating privacy by requesting passwords in order to access confidential information.
House Bill (HB) 2654 B prohibits employers from infringing on employees or potential employee’s privacy by accessing their social media accounts. Its partner bill, Senate Bill (SB) 344, passed the Senate, which protects Oregon’s students from having their social media passwords acquired by universities. HB 2654 extends the same privacy notion that applies to personal E-Mails, letters, bank accounts, diaries, and private conversations.
“When a job candidate applies for employment, the employer does not ask to look at the applicant’s mail,” Senator Tim Knopp of Bend. “So why is their Facebook account fair game? The Social Networking Privacy Protection Act promotes the level of privacy that our employees deserve. I am glad that we could come together to pass this bill.”
In March of last year, the AP conducted an investigative report bringing this practice to light. The report found that businesses and universities were asking for passwords from prospective students or employees in order to access private information. HB 2654 B is sponsored by Senators Knopp, Star, Close, Burdick, Steiner-Hayward, and Representative Doherty.
