Michigan has become the fourth state to ban employers and educational institutions from seeking social media and email passwords from applicants, employees and students. When Gov. Ricky Snyder signed the legislation in late 2012, Michigan joined California, Illinois and Maryland in the growing movement to prevent social media probes by employers and others.
"Cybersecurity is important to the reinvention of Michigan, and protecting the private Internet accounts of residents is a part of that," Snyder said. "Potential employees and students should be judged on their skills and abilities, not private online activity."
The Internet Privacy Protection Act, also known as House Bill 5523, "prohibit[s] employers and educational institutions from requiring certain individuals to grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose information that allows access to or observation of personal Internet accounts."