Michigan Becomes the Latest State to Enact So-Called “Facebook Password” Laws
As we alerted you on December 21, 2012, the Michigan Legislature passed House Bill 5523, known as the Internet Privacy Protection Act (IPPA). On December 28, 2012, Governor Snyder signed the IPPA, which took effect immediately.
The IPPA places several restrictions on both employers and educational institutions seeking to gain access to “personal internet accounts” like Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter of employees, applicants, students, and prospective students. Additionally, an employer may not discharge, discipline, fail to hire, or otherwise penalize an employee or applicant declining an employer’s access request and an educational institution may not expel, discipline, fail to admit, or otherwise penalize a student or prospective student for similarly declining an educational institution’s access request. The IPPA, however, contains several notable exceptions.
For more information on what employers and educational institutions need to do in order to comply with this new law, please click below:
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Miller Canfield's Employment + Labor lawyers are available to assist you with both the legal and practical factors that will need to be considered.