The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a proposal that would have protected user names and passwords.
Meanwhile St. Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, introduced a bill last month that would prevent businesses and government from demanding that information as a condition of emplacement. Late last week, Yee added colleges and universities to that list. The right to privacy is at the center of this debate.
"I think the fact that it was defeated signals the fact that the business community wants to continue to invade our privacy, take our personal information, do whatever they want with it, and, that is a bad, bad signal," said Yee.
Experts on Internet privacy are calling this coercion for job seekers; and say it should not be allowed under any circumstances. Yee's bill will get its first test before a legislative committee later this month.
