A federal judge has temporarily blocked implementation of California Proposition 35, Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act (“CASE ACT”), a new law overwhelmingly approved by 81 percent of voters on Election Day that contains a requirement for the state’s approximately 73,000 registered sex offenders to disclose online screen names and Internet service providers to law enforcement. A report from KTVU Fox Channel 2 News in Oakland, CA about the blockage of Proposition 35 is available at http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/judge-temporarily-blocks-prop-35-internet-disclosu/nSz4t/. (more…)

On September 27, 2012, California Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. announced that he had signed Assembly Bill 1844 (AB 1844) to increase privacy protections for social media users in the state by prohibiting  employers from demanding usernames, passwords, and information related to social media accounts such as Facebook from employees and job applicants. The new law also bans employers from firing or disciplining employees who refuse to divulge the information. The full text of California Assembly Bill 1844 (AB 1844) is at: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB1844&search_keywords=. (more…)

To help show employers how to conduct legal background checks, Jared Callahan of Employment Screening Resources (ESR) will present a webinar with Business & Legal Resources (BLR) titled ‘Background Checks: How to Legally Use Criminal Records, Social Media Searches, and More’ on Thursday, September 13, 2012 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PST (1:30 to 3:00 p.m. EST). For more information about the webinar, visit: http://catalog.blr.com/product.cfm/product/30744400. (more…)

Attorney and safe hiring expert Lester Rosen, Founder and CEO of background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), will speak on the topic of ‘Using Social Networking Sites, Search Engines, and Web 2.0 to Screen Applicants: Caution Advised!’ on Monday, September 10, 2012, from 1:45 PM to 3:00 PM EST at the ASIS International 58th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information about Rosen’s session at ASIS International 2012, visit: http://www.asis2012.org/. (more…)

A new law makes Illinois the second state to prevent employers from demanding social network passwords as Governor Pat Quinn recently signed legislation – House Bill 3782 (HB 3782) – that protects the right to privacy of current employees and job applicants by making it illegal for employers to request social network account information such as usernames or passwords to gain access to their accounts or profiles. The full text of the law, which takes effect January 1, 2013, is available here: Illinois House Bill 3782 (HB 3782). (more…)