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NH students get privacy rights

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Starting this September, state law will prohibit schools from requesting access to students’ social media accounts.

HB 142, the bill behind the change, automatically became law after Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) chose to neither sign nor veto the bill.

"We would never permit school administrators to demand access to a student’s bedroom to sift through their private letters and photo albums," said Devon Chaffee, Executive Director of ACLU of New Hampshire. "HB 142 simply prevents school administrators from doing the electronic equivalent."

However, some opponents argue the law over-reaches by including private schools. "Some private schools and certain parents of homeschoolers have specific policies regarding how their students can use social media. … Non-public education institutions are chosen by parents for the education of their child in part because of these policies," said Rep. Michael Sylvia (R).

Mont Vernon teen Jonathan Petersen also testified at a bill hearing that, "I believe that cases of cyberbullying will only increase in New Hampshire schools due to school administrators and staff having no control over social media and other types of cyberbullying."

HB 142 does allow schools to request a parent give information from a minor’s social media account. The bill also allows schools to request a student "voluntarily share a printed copy of a specific communication from the student’s social media account."

CLICK HERE to read what the LFDA community had to say about HB 142.

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