Online privacy is an issue that’s very important to college students today.

Shelby Emmett of the FIRE blog reports.

Maryland Passes Bill to Protect Students’ Online Privacy

On April 10, the Maryland legislature passed legislation to protect the online privacy rights of students enrolled in institutions of postsecondary education. The law was signed by Governor Larry Hogan on May 12 and goes into effect on June 1, 2015. This is a significant step forward, as college-age students—who use social media more than most—should not be forced to share their private online information with teachers and school administrators.

The law states that institutions of postsecondary education may not:

(1) Require, request, suggest, or cause a student, an applicant, or a prospective student to grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose information that allows access to or observation of the individual’s personal electronic account;

(2) Compel a student, an applicant, or a prospective student, as a condition of acceptance or participation in curricular or extracurricular activities, to:

(i) Add to the list of contacts associated with a personal electronic account any individual, including a coach, a teacher, an administrator, another employee of the institution of postsecondary education, or a volunteer; or

(ii) Change the privacy settings associated with a personal electronic account;

(3) Take any action or threaten to take any action to discharge, discipline, prohibit from participating in curricular or extracurricular activities, or otherwise penalize a student as a result of the student’s refusal to:

(i) Grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose any information that allows access to or observation of a personal electronic account;

(ii) Add any individual to the list of contacts associated with a personal electronic account; or

(iii) Change the privacy settings associated with a personal electronic account; or

(4) Fail or refuse to admit an applicant as a result of the applicant’s refusal to:

(i) Grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose any information that allows access to or observation of a personal electronic account;

(ii) Add any individual to the list of contacts associated with a personal electronic account; or

(iii) Change the privacy settings associated with a personal electronic account.