Ford Quoted Extensively on Employer Policies Regarding Individual Social Media Accounts

Jackie Ford, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office, was quoted throughout a Chillicothe Gazette story regarding proposed Ohio legislation that would prevent an employer from asking for access to an employee and/or potential employee’s social media accounts.   

The article states:

“The implied threat of being fired from a job or not being considered for one means an employer asking for a password is likely in violation of the Stored Communications Privacy Act, said Jackie Ford, a partner at the Columbus law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.

‘This is already illegal under federal law, with criminal penalties,’ said Ford, who practices primarily in labor and employment law.

Ford said one of the many reasons this would be an inadvisable exercise is that learning private information about a job candidate could open up an employer to discrimination lawsuits.”