Friday, July 06, 2012

Does Manitoba need a social media law? Does Canada?

Good Day Readers:

Without having done the research we dare say yes. Just don't give the job to "Ceiling Vic."

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
Deleware Schools to Be Barred from Students' Social Media Lives

By Sam Favate
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Delaware is on the verge of prohibiting schools from monitoring students’ social media activity without their consent.

The state Senate unanimously voted to ban public and private schools from requiring students to allow access to their social media lives, the Los Angeles Times reported. The bill, which also passed the Delaware House, only needs the governor’s signature to become law.

Some colleges and universities have required students to download social media monitoring software on their personal electronic devices or accounts as a condition of their scholarships or participation in athletics.
A recent revision in the University of North Carolina handbook on this matter is said to be typical, according to MSNBC.

“Each team must identify at least one coach or administrator who is responsible for having access to and regularly monitoring the content of team members’ social networking sites and postings. The athletics department also reserves the right to have other staff members monitor athletes’ posts,” the handbook says.

Attorney Bradley Shear, who worked with lawmakers in Delaware and Maryland to draft the social media law, said he believes that schools and employers that require access to social media are violating the First Amendment.

Under the Delaware bill, institutions are forbidden from requesting or requiring a student or applicant to disclose any passwords or related account information; asking them to log on to a social media site in the presence of an agent; requiring the installation of a monitoring device that gives the institution access; or requiring the student to add an agent to their contacts.

Maryland saw a similar bill pass the state Senate, but it stalled when the legislature was unable to pass a budget. California saw a workplace bill pass a Senate committee, and a U.S. congressional committee is considering the Social Networking Online Protection Act, which would prohibit employers from requiring job seekers or workers to provide passwords as a condition of employment.

Back in March, Law Blog noted the practice of job applicants being asked for access to personal social media information by employers.

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