US lawmakers propose password privacy bill

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A group of US lawmakers on Wednesday proposed a bill that would make it illegal for employers or schools to require the disclosure of passwords for social networks such as Facebook.

The bipartisan proposal comes after reports that some firms have required passwords as a condition of employment, or that schools have asked for the information to guarantee enrolment or participation in sports programmes.

The lawmakers said the bill, a reintroduction of a measure proposed last year, was aimed at protecting privacy in social networks like Facebook or Twitter.

"The lack of clarity in the law puts individuals in a position where they either have to give up vital, private information, or risk losing their job, potential job, or enrollment in school and involvement in the school's sports programmes," said Representative Eliot Engel, one of the bill's sponsors.