SB 186-Relating to Social Media Privacy
On Monday, October 5th, SB 186, relating to Social Media Privacy, by Senator Jeff Clemens (D- Lake Worth) passed through the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee with 5 yeas and 1 nay.

SB 186 seeks to prohibit an employer from requesting or requiring access to a social media account of an employee or prospective employee, prohibit an employer from taking retaliatory action against an employee because the employee has refused access to his or her social media account; and prohibit an employer from failing or refusing to hire a prospective employee as a result of the prospective employee’s refusal of access to his or her social media account. AIF’s Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, spoke in opposition of this bill.

View Opposition Letter sent to the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee.

This bill will now be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

AIF OPPOSES social media privacy as employers can be held legally responsible for employee actions using these accounts and devices, because these devices are the employer’s property. AIF believes this legislation would eliminate legitimate employer investigations and would assist in creating a “safe zone” for employees who want to steal extremely valuable IP assets of companies in our state by transferring them to the employee’s personal social media or personal email account.