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Lawmakers Pass Ban On Colleges Asking Applicants For Facebook Logins

Lawmakers Pass Ban On Colleges Asking Applicants For Facebook Logins
Students applying for college would not have to surrender their social media user names and passwords under a bill just sent to California Governor Jerry Brown.

Students applying for college would not have to surrender their social media user names and passwords under a bill just sent to California Governor Jerry Brown.

The measure passed its final legislative vote today with unanimous support in the State Senate. It comes after reports of university admissions officers asking prospective applicants for their account logins.

Democratic Senator Leland Yee is the measure’s author. “Those social media accounts are really private matters. It contains personal information. No one ever thought that this information would be then made contingent for admission into a college or university," said Yee.

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A separate measure would prevent employers from asking for social media logins. That bill is also expected to pass the legislature by the end of next week.

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