Use of Social Media and Electronic Mail (employee and applicant account privacy)
NH Employee Social Media Privacy Law
Employees
Bars employers from demanding login credentials for employees' or applicants' personal social media accounts, forcing them to add contacts, or lowering privacy settings, and from disciplining those who refuse. Employers may still set equipment-use policies, monitor their own systems and accounts, and investigate specific misconduct reports.
- Where
- New Hampshire
- Citation
- N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 275:73 to 275:75
- Status
- In force
- In force since
- 2014-09-30
- Enforced by
- New Hampshire Labor Commissioner
- People can sue
- No
- Penalties
- Civil penalty imposed by the Labor Commissioner under RSA 273:11-a, appealable under RSA 273:11-c.
- Applies to
- Employers in New Hampshire, with respect to employees and prospective employees
Practices it requires
- Do not request or require an employee or applicant to disclose login information for a personal account.RSA 275:74, I
- Do not compel an employee or applicant to add anyone to contacts on email or personal accounts, or to reduce privacy settings.RSA 275:74, II
- Do not discipline or threaten an employee for refusing a request that violates the subdivision.RSA 275:74, III
- An employer that inadvertently captures an employee's password through network monitoring may not use it to access the employee's personal accounts.RSA 275:74, V
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Research reference, not legal advice.