AB 25 - Employment: Social Media

• Prohibits private and public employers from requiring or requesting employees or job applicants to disclose social media usernames or passwords, access personal social media in the employer's presence, or divulge personal social media content.

• Prohibits employers from discharging, disciplining, threatening, or retaliating against employees or applicants who refuse to comply with requests that violate these provisions.

• Allows law enforcement agencies to access social media accounts of new hire and lateral transfer applicants for sworn peace officer positions once during background investigations, with prior written notice and consent from the applicant.

• Restricts law enforcement use of accessed social media information to screening purposes only and prohibits its use as a basis for adverse action against applicants or third parties whose information may appear on social media.

• Provides lateral transfer applicants with remedies under Government Code Section 3309.5 for law enforcement violations of these social media provisions.