Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a law on Wednesday that “makes it illegal for an employer to request an employee’s or job candidate’s social network account information, such as username or password, in order to gain access to their account or profile,” as the Illinois Government News Network reported. The law, passed in response to a spate of reports on employers asking current or prospective employees for their Facebook passwords or to login to their social media accounts and allow managers to peruse them looking for compromising information, goes into effect January 1. Illinois claims to be one of first states in the nation to enact such legislation, though Maryland passed a similar law in April and Delaware passed one specific to universities and colleges in early July. Another 10 states have introduced such legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
(H/T: Slashdot)
