Virginia Workplace Social Media Password Privacy Bill Signed

On March 23, 2015, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a social media password privacy bill (H.B. 2081) that limits employers access to employees' and job applicants' personal social media accounts. Effective July 1, Virginia employers are prohibited from requiring current or prospective employees to share login credentials or add a supervisor as a contact on their personal account. Employers also will be prohibited from retaliating against employees or refusing to hire job applicants for exercising such social media privacy rights. While Virginia has a reputation as an “employer-friendly” state, the law imposes relatively substantial restrictions on such access by Virginia employers (public or private). There are certain exceptions permitting employers to comply with federal, state or local laws and the rules of self-regulatory organizations. Eighteen other states have a similar workplace social media password privacy law.