N.J. employers can’t ask workers for social media passwords

Starting Sunday, New Jersey will become the eighth state in the nation to ban employers from requiring job applicants to disclose their social media user name or password.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli, who pushed for the law, said demanding social media passwords from job seekers goes too far.

“We just wanted to be certain that when a person goes through the interview process for employment that they don’t have to sacrifice their privacy for the potential to feed their family,” said Burzichelli, D-Gloucester.

The law also helps employers avoid sticky situations, according to Scott Vernick, privacy attorney.

“They now know sort of what the rules of the game are, and they’re less likely to be faced with some charge or some complaint that they invaded somebody’s privacy,” Vernick said.

Employers who violate the law face fines of $1,000 for the first offense and $2,500 for every additional violation.