Calif. Gov. signs law banning employers from asking job applicants for Facebook passwords

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills into law on Thursday that would block universities and employers from requiring that applicants hand over their passwords for email, Facebook and other social media accounts.

One of the bills bans employers from demanding user names, passwords or other social media account information from employees and job applicants. It also states that employers are prohibited from firing or disciplining employees who refuse to turn over such account information. 

The other bill would block universities from demanding usernames, passwords and other information related to social media and email accounts from current and prospective students, as well as student groups.

“The Golden State is pioneering the social media revolution and these laws will protect all Californians from unwarranted invasions of their personal social media accounts,” Brown said in a statement.

Fittingly, the California governor took to Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media websites to announce he signed the two bills into law, Brown's office said.

Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced similar legislation in the House this April. Employers who run afoul of the rules in the bill would be subject to a $10,000 civil penalty. 

The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill in April that bans employers in the state from asking current and prospective employees for their usernames and passwords to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The practice of employers requesting social media passwords from job applicants first came to light in an Associated Press article earlier this year, which sparked outrage from lawmakers.

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