Delaware Schools to Be Barred from Students’ Social Media Lives

[WSJ Law Blog]

Delaware is on the verge of prohibiting schools from monitoring students' social media activity without their consent.



Under the Delaware bill, institutions are forbidden from requesting or requiring a student or applicant to disclose any passwords or related account information; asking them to log on to a social media site in the presence of an agent; requiring the installation of a monitoring device that gives the institution access; or requiring the student to add an agent to their contacts.

Maryland saw a similar bill pass the state Senate, but it stalled when the legislature was unable to pass a budget. California saw a workplace bill pass a Senate committee, and a U.S. congressional committee is considering the Social Networking Online Protection Act, which would prohibit employers from requiring job seekers or workers to provide passwords as a condition of employment.

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