With social
media being such a big part of today’s culture, you would
think that some basic guidelines would exist on how to govern it from a
legal standpoint.
When applying for a job or to a
school, the first thing people will tell you
is to make sure you “clean up” your social media before hand. Sometimes that is
not enough, as some places will require you to provide your login credentials
so that they can thoroughly look through your profile before making a decision
on you.
This seems to put a lot of people
in a vulnerable spot with no rights or protection. A bill being proposed in
Ohio would protect students and others from such predicaments.
In the article from www.ohiohouse.gov
they state, “Technology has changed
every aspect of our lives, and the legislature should address the fact that
some of our laws do not provide adequate protections for our schools and
students.”
Currently there are no laws like this one proposed, or any NCAA rules that protect student-athletes against social
media privacy.
Although this is a law that would
be upheld only in Ohio, laws like this are sure to spread throughout the country
if this one is passed in Ohio and becomes a law.
Social media definitely makes personal information less private by putting it internet for everything to see. Even with privacy settings, friends can post things or might not have the same privacy settings resulting in others being able to view different aspects that the individual may think are protected. Employers might expect individuals to become friends with them on Facebook. On sites such as twitter, it might be a red flag if an individuals tweets are "protected" from an employer. Twitter, and related social media such as personal websites can be a great way for networking and becoming a presence in a particular field. The problem with this is that even if an individual is careful about not posting anything they feel is inappropriate or unprofessional, it might be something that is still offensive to others. It really limits an individuals freedom to post their interest and other aspects of their lives on social networking in a way that the site was intended.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenna, Social media does make personal information very public. The absence of regulations on social media is very apparent. People go on job interviews and their personal information is subject to scrutiny. There are no rules to prevent employers from asking to see your Facebook or Twitter. With that being said, why is it employers can't ask if you are pregnant, but if it's on your Facebook it's free game. Hopefully the law passes in Ohio and opens doors for other states and more.
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