Social Media Account Privacy (Employers)
VT Employee Social Media Privacy
Employees
Prevents employers from requiring or pressuring workers or job applicants to hand over personal social media passwords, log in in front of them, show account content, weaken privacy settings, or add the employer as a contact. Employers may still ask for specific content during certain legal-compliance, misconduct or data-leak investigations.
- Where
- Vermont
- Citation
- 21 V.S.A. § 495l
- Status
- In force
- In force since
- 2018-01-01
- Enforced by
- Vermont Attorney General or State's Attorneys (21 V.S.A. § 495b)
- People can sue
- Yes
- Penalties
- The retaliation ban and the penalty and enforcement provisions of 21 V.S.A. § 495b apply: state civil penalties under the Consumer Protection Act procedures, and private suits for damages, reinstatement and attorney's fees.
- Applies to
- Vermont employers, for employees and applicants (with carve-outs for law enforcement agencies)
Practices it requires
- Do not require, request or coerce disclosure of social media login credentials, or handing over an unlocked personal device to access an account.21 V.S.A. § 495l(b)(1)
- Do not require an employee or applicant to access an account in the employer's presence, divulge account content, or change privacy settings to increase third-party access.21 V.S.A. § 495l(b)(2)-(4)
- Do not require or coerce an employee or applicant to add anyone, including the employer, to their social media contacts.21 V.S.A. § 495l(c)
Other duties
- Waivers of these rights are invalid; employers may request specifically identified content only for legal compliance or specific investigations.21 V.S.A. § 495l(d)-(e)
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Research reference, not legal advice.