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ErinRogers

14February2013JOUR135

MediaPrivacyLawProtectsbutdoesnotPrevent

Statusupdatesandtweetsarenotjustfortheeyesoffollowersanymore.Employers

anddifferentcompanieslookintowhatemployeesarepostingonFacebook,Twitterandotherformsofsocialmedia.

Picturesofsomeonepukingintoatoiletorstatusupdatesabouthowmuchone

hateshisorherjobisnotsomethinganemployeewantstheirbosstosee.Tomake

sureinformationisprivate,peoplearemakingtheirpagesprivateandblockingcertainpeople.

Evenwithrestrictions,employerswerefindingwaystoaccesssocialinformationandsomeevendemandlogininformation.

Toprotectemployeesrightstotheprivateinformationonsocialmedia,Assembly

Bill1344madeitswaythroughCongressandbecamealawonJan.1thanksto

GovernorJerryBrown.

KnownastheSocialMediaPrivacyAct,thislawprohibitsemployersfromdemandingusernamesorpasswordsofemployeesocialmediaaccounts.Originally

createdbyCaliforniaStateAssemblyRepresentativeNoraCampos,thislawalso

statesanemployeecannotbeterminatedfornotreleasingsuchinformation.

Eventhoughemployeesarenowprotectedunderlaw,doesAB1844reallyhavean

impactonemployersaccessingsocialmediaaccounts?

Socialmediacaneitherhelppeoplegetajobordestroytheirchances,saidSacramentoStateCareerCounselorDavidMcVey.Bossesarentgoingtohire

someonewhogoestopartieseveryweekendoronethattalksbadaboutprevious

jobs.

Insteadofdamagingonesreputation,McVeysaysusesocialmediatohelpgetajob.

Postthingsthatshowyouraccomplishments,hesaid.Yourinvolvementona

clubspageoryourworkhistorymightswaythatfutureemployerinadifferentdirection.

StudentShakaraJonessaysherretailjobatCrossroadsTradingCo.requiredhertosignacontractbeforeemploymentstatingshewouldnotpostanythingdefamatory

aboutthecompanyonanyformofsocialmedia.

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EvenbeforeIstartedworkingIhadtosignastatementsayingIwouldnotpostbadthingsaboutCrossroads,Jonessaid.Itsnotfairthatwehavetowatchwhatwesay

onourownaccounts.

Crossroadsisnottheonlycompanythatwantsemployeestowatchwhattheysayonsocialmedia.

EventhoughNordstromdoesnothaveacontractprohibitingouremployeesfrom

talkingaboutusontheInternet,wedowantthemtousetheirbestjudgment,saidNordstromHumanResourcesAssociateRhondaRyan.

Tokeepupwithsocialmedia,RyansaidNordstromisactiveonFacebook,Twitter,

Pinterestandmore.

EventhoughRyandidnotdirectlysayshelookstosocialmediaforthosewantingto

gethired,sheadvisedtokeepacleanhistory.Sinceourcompanyworkswithmanyformsofsocialmedia,wewouldnotwantto

hireanyonewhocoulddamageourreputation,Ryansaid.Everyonelookingtogetorkeepajobshouldalwaysbecautiouswhenitcomestopostingthings.

Withsocialmediaexpandingeveryday,differentdepartmentsatSacStateutilizetheInternetindifferentways.

GraphicdesignstudentDanaThompsonsaidshehastowatcheverythingshedoes

online.

Themajorityofmydesignprojects,forbothschoolandwork,areexpectedtobe

availableonline,Thompsonsaid.IamcarefulwithwhatIpostbecauseifmyfamily

wouldntappreciateseeingit,thanmybosswouldntwanttoseeiteither.

Whenaskedwhethershethoughtthislawwouldprotectemployees,Thompsonsaidshebelievesemployerswouldcontinuetolookupemployeesonsocialmediawith

orwithoutusernames.

Iwouldexpectemployerstocheckoursocialmediaaccountsbecausewerenerds

andthisiswhatwedo,Thompsonsaid.Itisbettertobesafethansorry.

Eventhoughthelawprotectsemployees,allsourcesstatedtheywouldcontinueto

watchwhattheypostonlineandurgeotherstodothesame.

Donotassumethatjustbecauseyourpageisprivatethatallthepostsandpictures

areaswell,saidcounselorMcVey.Usesocialmediatoyouradvantage.

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ThisSocialMediaLawprohibitsemployersfromaskingforcertaininformationbut

everyoneshouldbecautiousaboutinformationpostedonsocialmedia,privateornot.

WordCount:688

Contacts:

DavidMcVey,CareerCounselor (916)278-6318

RhondaRyan,HumanResources (916)646-2400ShakaraJones,student (707)365-6338

DanaThompson,student (916)204-0403