Monthly Archives: September 2012
High Court May Rule on Computer Law Question
At issue is whether the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applies to data theft by employees; the circuits are split. BY Nick Akerman On July 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit became the first circuit to adopt the Ninth Circuit’s holding in U.S. v. Nosal, 676 F.3d 854 (9th Cir. 2012), that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act does not apply to employees who steal data from the company computers. WEC Carolina Energy Solutions LLC v. Miller, 2012 WL 3039213 (4th Cir. July 26, 2012). This case places the Fourth and Ninth circuits in direct conflict … [ Continue reading ]
No Password for You: California Enacts Social Media Privacy Laws Affecting Employers and Postsecondary Educational Institutions
By: Gary Gansle, Jessica Linehan, and Kurt Whitman Addressing a recent hot topic regarding the forced disclosure of social media passwords and/or content as part of the employment application process, California has promptly resolved the issue legislatively. Effective January 1, 2013, employers in California are generally prohibited from requiring applicants and employees to disclose or access social media information. This new law, AB 1844, parallels an analogous law, SB 1349, which prohibits California’s public and private postsecondary educational institutions from requiring similar mandatory social media disclosure from students, prospective students, or student groups. Consistent with its historically strong state constitutional … [ Continue reading ]
