Employer Access to Employees' and Applicants' Personal Online Accounts
CT Social Media Password Law
Employees
Bars employers from requiring employees or job applicants to hand over passwords to personal online accounts, log in in front of them, or connect with them on social media, and from retaliating against those who refuse. Employer-provided accounts and devices and specific-information investigations are excepted.
- Where
- Connecticut
- Citation
- Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-40x
- Status
- In force
- Last amended
- 2016-06-06
- Enforced by
- Connecticut Labor Commissioner
- People can sue
- Limited
- Penalties
- Labor Commissioner complaint process; employee violations: civil penalty up to $500 (first) and $1,000 (subsequent) plus reinstatement, back pay and benefits; applicant violations: up to $25 (first) and $500 (subsequent); prevailing complainants get attorney's fees (31-40x(f)-(h)).
- Applies to
- Employers with employees, including the state and political subdivisions, except law enforcement agencies doing pre-employment investigations (31-40x(a)(3))
Practices it requires
- Do not request or require credentials to an employee's or applicant's personal online account, or require them to access it in the employer's presence.Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-40x(b)(1)-(2)
- Do not require an employee or applicant to invite or accept the employer into a group affiliated with a personal online account.Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-40x(b)(3)
- Do not discipline, retaliate against, or refuse to hire anyone for refusing such requests or for complaining.Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-40x(b)(4)-(5)
Other duties
- Employers may require access to employer-provided accounts and devices, conduct investigations based on specific information, and monitor employer-paid devices and networks as permitted by law.Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-40x(c)-(d)
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Effective date of P.A. 15-6 not confirmed.
Research reference, not legal advice.