Illinois Students Suspected of Cyberbullying Must Provide Social Media Passwords

derekmead writes: School districts in Illinois are telling parents that a new law may require school officials to demand the social media passwords of students if they are suspected in cyberbullying cases or are otherwise suspected of breaking school rules. The law (PDF), which went into effect on January 1, defines cyberbullying and makes harassment on Facebook, Twitter, or via other digital means a violation of the state's school code, even if the bullying happens outside of school hours. A letter sent out to parents in the Triad Community Unit School District #2, a district located just over the Missouri-Illinois line near St. Louis, that was obtained by Motherboard says that school officials can demand students give them their passwords.

Comments

Re:Bullshit

[skgrey]

And unbelievably ignorant in terms of technology and the sanctity of passwords and system access. These are the people teaching our children and making policy? That's very frightening.

Schools should already be implementing some sort of technology instruction in terms of environment, protection, and safety starting in 4th grade or so. And for those that think this is too young, many kids have smart phones and tablets before they can read to watch videos and play apps, and are already growing up with these devices and the Internet being part of their lives. Now imagine your ten or eleven year old has this device and is on every social media, search engine, porn site, or board. It's not even the content we have to worry about, it's the other people on them. Schools are the perfect place for this, but the people there have no clue. Sure, give them your password. Ugh.

Oblig.

[clonehappy]

Step 1. Create social media account under my enemy's name and bully people.
Step 2. Enemy takes the blame since they can't give up passwords to prove otherwise.
Step 3. Profit!

Actually figured out step 2 this time. That's real progress!

Re:Bullshit

[geekmux]

The law is blatantly unconstitutional.

Actually, the law doesn't demand the password. The school districts are making it up because they don't know about or have police powers and are otherwise clueless. The real issue here is the law puts activity occurring outside of schools into the hands of school administrators.

PS: The constitutionality of demanding a password has never been finally tested, but this doesn't get us there either.

PSS: I doubt it really matters if the ground you're standing on has been "finally tested" when at that point you'll be an ex-student standing in the street, expelled.

Seems you forgot who holds the true power over the average 16-year old civics fan who wants to make a point. Scholarships aren't going to get any less competitive. Have fun getting one with that kind of black mark on your record.

Hell, in this day and age you'll be lucky to get away with not being labeled a terrorist for demanding your Rights like that. Gonna be hard to do that student exchange program next year while your ass is on the no-fly list. And for such a profoundly just reason too.

Re:My password is alt-f4

[TaoPhoenix]

Actually, you were just making a "level one" joke, but I'll take to level 2!

Actually make your password Alt&F4!!

Look at it - eight characters, two caps, a number, and three special characters!

And given the technological silliness of the people making this power grab, you get an epic Who's On First routine for the 21st century!

"What's your password?"
"Alt and F4 Bang Bang"
"BangBang"?
"Yeah, that Cher song. Wanna play it on Youtube?"
"No. I want your password."
"I told you. Alt&f4 Bang Bang"
(Principal does Alt-f4 - Window closes.)
"Hey! You closed my program!"
"I didn't do anything. I'm on the phone, you're at the computer."

(Repeat for fifteen minutes and maybe the school admin will give up! If they survived that one, change it!)

Runner up is this site!
"Okay, I changed it for you. www./..org