California Private Investigator Practice Exam

An employer may require an employee to divulge social media accounts. Is this statement true or false?

1. True

2. False

3. Depends on the state

4. Only for certain employees

The correct answer is: False

The statement that an employer may require an employee to divulge social media accounts is false. In many jurisdictions, including California, laws have been enacted to protect employees' rights regarding their personal social media accounts. Specifically, California has a statute that prohibits employers from requiring employees or job applicants to disclose their usernames or passwords for personal social media accounts. This law acknowledges that social media is often used for personal expression, and mandating access can infringe on privacy rights. Although employers can request access to professional accounts that are related to job functions or used for business purposes, requiring personal account information typically violates employee privacy protections. Thus, maintaining the privacy of personal social media accounts is essential under these protections, making the statement false.