Can an Employer Force You to Reveal Your Facebook Password?

Can an employer force you to reveal your Facebook or other social media password as a condition for getting hired or keeping your job?

That issue began to get some attention in March after a statistician in New York reported that during an interview with a potential employer, the woman interviewing him had searched for his Facebook and, upon discovering that it was private, asked him for the password.

The statistician, Justin Bassett, refused and left the interview according to the Associated Press.

But the story brought to light other instances where employers have sought similar access to social media accounts, and have led several states to consider legislation to ban the practice.

California's assembly voted Thursday to approve such legislation and a committee in the New Jersey general assembly passed a bill with similar wording on Thursday.

According to a study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Labor Relations Board has reviewed 129 cases involving social media, although many are in the early stages. The issues raised include not just whether an employer can ask for an employee's password, but whether the employer can force the employee to accept a "Like" request so the employee's social media activities can be monitored; whether the employer may uses social media to spy on an employee; or whether an employer is justified in firing or disciplining an employee because of something they post on a social media site.

So what's your take? Does your boss have a legitimate interest in what you say on Facebook?