JEFFERSON CITY—On Thursday, the Senate gave final approval to legislation filed by Sen. Walsh to protect the privacy of Missouri workers. Senate Bill 164, also known as the Password Privacy Protection Act, protects employees and job applicants from being required to disclose personal user names or passwords to employers.

“Social networking accounts are places where we share the personal and private aspects of our lives with family and friends.  Who we are friends with, and what organizations we choose to support outside of work, have nothing to do with whether we can do the job,” said Sen. Walsh. “This legislation takes a reasonable approach to protect our personal privacy.”

Under the bill, employers cannot request or require employees or job applicants to disclose any username or password information for accessing personal online accounts or services. However, employers can request the username and password of electronic devices, accounts and services paid for or provided by the employer and used for business purposes.

“The privacy of Missourians is increasingly under assault as more and more of our daily lives are conducted online,” said Sen. Walsh. “Missouri’s Password Privacy Protection Act takes a balanced approach to the issue by accounting for an employer’s legitimate business interests while protecting the privacy of employees in the digital age.”

The legislation also bars employees from transferring an employer’s confidential information or financial data to a personal online account or service without explicit authorization from the employer.

Senate Bill 164 now goes to the House for consideration.

For more information on Sen. Walsh’s sponsored legislation, visit her Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/Walsh.