Another state increases social media privacy protection.

• Position: PRIVACY

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Washington is the latest state to pass legislation banning employers from requesting employees' user names and passwords for their personal social media accounts. According to Corporate Counsel, the new law also prohibits employers from requiring their employees to:

* Open their accounts so the employers can view their postings

* Add them as friends

* Change their personal settings to make their accounts more public

If the employer is investigating a worker's alleged misconduct or if a worker is accused of making unauthorized transfers of proprietary information, the employer can ask the worker to voluntarily provide his or her log-on information, but the employer cannot require it. The law does not apply to social media sites and platforms used primarily for work purposes.

Some employers contend they need access to their employees' personal social media accounts to protect...