As reported by the L.A. Times, California is one step closer to passing a law that would prevent employers from requiring job applicants and existing employees to provide their social media logins and passwords to their employer (or prospective employer).

I discussed this previously in conjunction with a post on SNOPA, a bill introduced in the United States House of Representatives that seeks to protect students and employees. It appears that California is moving ahead:

California is one step closer to becoming one of the first states to ban companies from asking job seekers and workers for their user names and passwords on Facebook and other social networking websites.

The state Assembly on Thursday passed a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose) that would make anything workers designate as private on social networks off limits to employers. The bill, which passed the Assembly without a dissenting vote, now goes to the California Senate.

California’s legislation comes in the wake of Maryland’s new law (signed by the Governor on May 2, 2012), which was the first state to  to ban employers from requiring employees or job applicants to provide access to their social media accounts.