Harvard University recently had some explaining to do. Last fall, the University conducted an investigation into the source information leaked to the media about students at the Ivy League school who had cheated. The investigation included searching the work e-mail accounts of 16 Resident Deans without telling them. Although the University eventually told the one
Privacy
New California Laws Limit Access to Employee, Student Usernames and Passwords
Governor Jerry Brown last week signed two new privacy laws that will go into effect January 1, 2013. AB 1844 and SB 1349 prohibit employers, colleges and universities from requiring or asking prospective and current employees and students to disclose social media usernames and passwords. It also prohibits requiring or requesting employees and students to…
New Maryland Law Prohibits Employers from Asking for Social Media Passwords
Maryland recently became the first in the nation to ban employers from asking job applicants and employees for their Facebook and other social media passwords. The law was signed into legislation by Maryland’s Governor approximately one year after the ACLU took on the case of Robert Collins who claimed he was forced to turn over…
What Does The Supreme Court’s Ruling In US v. Jones Mean For GPS Tracking By Employers?
Last summer we reported that an employer may under California law use GPS devices to track employer owned or leased vehicles. We recently revisited this issue in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in United States v. Jones. Although Jones does address the use of GPS devices to track vehicles, the holding…
Ninth Circuit Agrees To Rehear Computer Data Fraud Case
This blog post was authored by Alison Carrinski
In May we reported on the case U.S. v. Nosal, in which the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals examined whether an employee violates the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) when misappropriating data from an employer’s computer system in violation of the employer’s…
New Limits On Employer Use Of Consumer Credit Reports
This guest post was authored by Julie L. Strom
Effective January 1, 2012, AB 22 places new limitations on when an employer is allowed to use a consumer credit report as a basis for employment decisions, and imposes disclosure requirements on employers who use such reports. The new law specifically lists job positions where…
Lawmakers Deal Another Blow To Missouri’s “Facebook Law”
In August we reported on a new Missouri law that regulated communications between teachers and students on social media websites. We also reported on the Missouri State Teachers Association’s (“MSTA”) successful efforts to block this so-called “Facebook Law” by obtaining a preliminary injunction from a Missouri Court. Now, Missouri’s Legislature has voted to repeal the…
New State Laws Establish Gender Identity, Gender Expression, And Genetic Information As Protected Classifications
This guest post was authored by Connie C. Almond
The Governor recently signed into law AB 887 and SB 559, which prohibit harassment and/or discrimination based on gender identity and expression, and genetic information, respectively.
Individuals who are transgender identify themselves with a gender that is different from their “assigned” sex. The term…
NLRB Provides Guidance On Regulating Employee Use Of Social Media
This post was co-authored by Elizabeth Arce
It seems that every time you turn on the news some new technological innovation is being announced. For example, recent weeks have seen the unveiling of new tablet computers and smartphones. In addition, social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn are constantly announcing upgrades to their…
Missouri Court Blocks “Facebook Law”
Last week we reported on a new Missouri law that regulates communications between teachers and students on social media websites. This so-called “Facebook Law” was scheduled to go into effect this week. However, at the request of the Missouri State Teachers Association, a Missouri Circuit Court issued a preliminary injunction on Friday blocking…