State representatives circulated a bipartisan social-media bill this week that would restrict employers’, landlords’ and schools’ access to private social-media accounts during application processes.
The bill, co-authored by state Reps. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, and Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, is designed to protect opportunities for job seekers, prospective students and tenants in the state by limiting access to their private information.
The bill’s language extends to all internet accounts, including email and other forms of social media. Sargent said she wanted to make the bill applicable to all current and future social-media trends, citing MySpace and Facebook as examples.
Currently, legislation does not definitively address what private account information employers can request. Sargent said it has become increasingly common for employers and universities to ask for access to applicants’ social-media accounts.
“I don’t think that [students] want to be discriminated against just because they won’t provide their username and password,” Sargent said. “Now not only will [the bill] protect the account holder, but it will also protect those who communicate with the account holder.”
Sargent added that because she is not aware of any social media discrimination cases, the bill would act more as a preventative measure and a way to keep pace with evolving technology. Still, she said the bill would not protect all online information.
“One of the things that young people need to keep in mind and that this legislation will not prevent is that when you provide something [online] … it is accessible by the public,” Sargent said. “The bill will not say that people cannot go look at your account.”
