The Social Networking Online Protection Act (SNOPA), “A bill to prohibit employers and certain other entities from requiring or requesting that employees and certain other individuals provide a user name, password, or other means for accessing a personal account on any social networking website,” was reintroduced on February 6th by Representatives Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Jan Schakowsky (D-I.L.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.). The bill would not only ban employers and schools from being able to request or require that employees, job applicants, students, or student applicants provide access to personal password protected digital accounts, but also would protect such persons from being punished for refusing these requests.
Although the bill is welcomed by privacy rights advocates, some contend it may actually protect businesses and schools from legal liability because, without access, constructive custody, or control, it may be more difficult for an employer or school to be held vicariously responsible for digital content authored by an employee or student on a personal account.