On May 19, 2015 Connecticut passed a new employment law which prohibits employers from:

1. Requesting or requiring that an employees or applicants provide employers with a user name and/or password, or any other authentication for accessing personal online accounts.
2. Requesting or requiring that an employee or applicant to log in or access a personal online account in the employers presence.
3. Require that an employee or applicant invite or accept an invitation from the employer to join a group associated with any personal online account.
4. Discharging, disciplining, discriminating or retaliating against or other penalizing an employee who refuses to provide the employer with access to a personal online account.
5. Failing or refusing to hire an applicant as a result of a refusal to provide the employer with access to the online account.

This law does not extend to situations in which an employer requests or requires access to an account or service provided by the employer for business purposes. In addition, employers may investigate to ensure legal compliance and penalize an employee who has transferred an employer’s proprietary, confidential, or financial information to or from a personal online accounts or other misuse of employer data.