House OKs bill to soften social media protections

ALLEN REED

The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas business owners could force current or perspective employees to "friend" them on Facebook under a bill the House endorsed on Monday.

The change would also exempt schools, daycares, summer camps, churches and religious-oriented employers from the state's social media rules. Lawmakers voted 91-1 in support of the bill, which now heads to the Senate.

Arkansas became one of the first states in the nation to offer social media safeguards in 2013 when the Legislature protected current and prospective employees from having to disclose their social media username and password or change their privacy settings. Employers can't refuse to hire applicants for not handing over their Facebook, Twitter or other social media information.

Eighteen states have laws that offer social media protections for employees, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nineteen states have introduced social media protection bills for employees or students this year.

Republican Rep. Nate Bell of Mena helped craft the 2013 Arkansas bill and is the primary architect of repealing part of it.

"We went a little too far and barred employer from being your friends on Facebook and barred a lot of the common things that normally take place in society," Bell said.

The rollback on school and daycare restrictions is a public safety issue, he said.

"They have traditionally, as part of their background check process, used a look at someone's social media account to see, for example, if they were posting inappropriate content about people that might be under their supervision," Bell said.

Bell didn't respond to requests for comment following the meeting.

Rep. Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock, cast the lone no vote.

"I don't think an employer ought to have any right to access or view an employees' social media account," Sabin said. "I think it's an infringement on personal liberty and free speech."

State Desk on 02/24/2015

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