Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Internet Privacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah House passes bill barring employers from demanding job seekers' social media passwords
Summary
The Utah House approved a second substitute to HB100 on Feb. 21, 2013, prohibiting employers and state entities from requesting private social-media login credentials while keeping protections for employers against misuse of company data; the bill passed 65–4 and moves to the Senate.
The Utah House passed a second substitute to House Bill 100 on Feb. 21, 2013, prohibiting employers and state agencies from requesting applicants’ private social‑media usernames or passwords while preserving employer protections against misuse of proprietary information. Representative Bridger Barlow, sponsor of the bill, said the substitute clarified definitions, fixed a drafting typo and added protections developed in consultation with the state Office of the Attorney General, the Utah Tech Council and state human resources officials.
Barlow told lawmakers the main change in the second substitute corrected a typo (replacing “with” with “without”) that otherwise risked creating entrapment issues and that the revisions narrow the bill to requests for login credentials while allowing employers to discipline employees for improper use of company data. Representative Arrant and others asked clarifying questions about differences between the original and substitute versions; Barlow said the substitute keeps employer protections and limits the prohibition to requests for private login information.
After brief discussion, the House voted to adopt the second substitute and passed HB100 by a recorded vote of 65 yeas to 4 nays. The bill will be transmitted to the Utah Senate for its consideration.
