Social Media and Your Employer

A recent article in the Bloomberg Law Social Media Law and Policy Report discusses the contentious area where personal social media accounts collide with employers’ interests. There are a number of reasons that employers tend to give for being interested in their employees’ personal social media content. For example, employers are trying to protect themselves against harassment claims, protect proprietary information, or comply with government regulations. Employees have expressed concern over privacy and discrimination issues. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 23 states have adopted legislation to prevent employers from asking for passwords and/or usernames to personal social media accounts, and 14 states have similar laws that apply to schools and students. However, Ohio is not one of those states. So here is your friendly reminder, as you are preparing for summer internships or your first job as a new grad: Be Mindful of What You Post on Social Media.

As a side note, you may be wondering how I noticed the Bloomberg article in the first place. Bloomberg Law lets you sign up to get reports. Under the “News and Law Reports” tab, click on “My News and Law Reports,” and then “Subscribe to Law Reports.” From there, you can browse by topic or title, or search by keyword to find relevant reports. These reports are delivered via email and are a great way to keep up with the latest legal news on topics of interest to you.