Calif. bill would protect password privacy

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SACRAMENTO, May 14 (UPI) -- California lawmakers say they're taking action against employers demanding access to Facebook accounts of employees or job applicants.

If a bill in the California Legislature is successful, the state will become the second, after Maryland, to ban the practice of employers asking for access to social media accounts of workers or applicants, ZDNet.com reported Sunday.

The bill, which was introduced in late February, passed the House unanimously and has now moved onto the Senate floor.

Democratic Assembly member Nora Campos of San Jose, the bill's author, says there must be social media privacy laws to protect employees.

"I am proud to have received this overwhelming show of support for the protection of our privacy rights," Campos said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the Senate and the governor to ensure that this bill is enacted into law."

Similar measures are being considered in many other states and lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate are working on legislation that would ban the practice nationally, the report said.