Social Media Monitoring Could End with New Bills Filed
By: Monica Yantosh
Updated: January 29, 2013
In the State House of Representatives, two separate bills have been filed that could potentially what employers and universities can access on their employees and student-athletes social media accounts.
One of the bills, HB 451 limits universities roles in social media. This bill says universities cannot request a user name or password to a student-athlete or prospective student athlete.
Texas Tech currently monitors their student-athletes social media usage through a company called UDilligence. According to Director of Student-Athlete Affairs Justin Paysinger, UDilligence is an app that is downloaded, voluntarily, by student-athletes. TTU does not access profiles through taking students passwords.
Paysinger said they monitor the accounts to keep the student-athletes safe.
How TTU would continue if this bill is passed is uncertain as the bill is still in early stages. According to Paysinger, since they do not take passwords, they are currently only looking at things in the public domain, something the bill does not prohibit.
"It's really as simple as, they get an email from UDilligence, saying 'this was found on your page, your university deemed it inappropriate, we need you to remove it,'" said Paysinger.
For Tech, they see it as a way to keep their athletes safe.
"It allows us to pull content from their page that may be unsafe, or harmful to them, or to the institution, that just helps us, again, educate and keep them protected," said Paysinger. "Their well-being is our priority, and as a result, that in turn, protects the institution, we definitely keep them safe, because they are using it so much, they're on it constantly."
The filed legislation could change how Tech monitors the sites. Paysinger said since the bill is still in very early stages, he's uncertain exactly how Tech could possibly change what they do, although because Tech doesn't ask athletes for passwords into accounts, Tech may be able to continue as they are now.
"It's something that will be a discussion for myself and for the administration as to where we want to go, how we want to continue our monitoring activities for our student athletes," said Paysinger.
Another billl, HB 318 would prohibit an employer from gaining access to employees and potential employees social media accounts, as well as "disclose a user name, password, or other means for accessing a personal account." A personal account includes an email account.
The bill, however, does allow for employers to view things in the public domain, as well as anything accessed on an employer-provided electron device or email address.
One of the bills, HB 451 limits universities roles in social media. This bill says universities cannot request a user name or password to a student-athlete or prospective student athlete.
Texas Tech currently monitors their student-athletes social media usage through a company called UDilligence. According to Director of Student-Athlete Affairs Justin Paysinger, UDilligence is an app that is downloaded, voluntarily, by student-athletes. TTU does not access profiles through taking students passwords.
Paysinger said they monitor the accounts to keep the student-athletes safe.
How TTU would continue if this bill is passed is uncertain as the bill is still in early stages. According to Paysinger, since they do not take passwords, they are currently only looking at things in the public domain, something the bill does not prohibit.
"It's really as simple as, they get an email from UDilligence, saying 'this was found on your page, your university deemed it inappropriate, we need you to remove it,'" said Paysinger.
For Tech, they see it as a way to keep their athletes safe.
"It allows us to pull content from their page that may be unsafe, or harmful to them, or to the institution, that just helps us, again, educate and keep them protected," said Paysinger. "Their well-being is our priority, and as a result, that in turn, protects the institution, we definitely keep them safe, because they are using it so much, they're on it constantly."
The filed legislation could change how Tech monitors the sites. Paysinger said since the bill is still in very early stages, he's uncertain exactly how Tech could possibly change what they do, although because Tech doesn't ask athletes for passwords into accounts, Tech may be able to continue as they are now.
"It's something that will be a discussion for myself and for the administration as to where we want to go, how we want to continue our monitoring activities for our student athletes," said Paysinger.
Another billl, HB 318 would prohibit an employer from gaining access to employees and potential employees social media accounts, as well as "disclose a user name, password, or other means for accessing a personal account." A personal account includes an email account.
The bill, however, does allow for employers to view things in the public domain, as well as anything accessed on an employer-provided electron device or email address.
