School Demands Facebook Login From Cheerleader, Gets Sued

A high school cheerleader in Mississippi is the latest victim of prying authority figures trying to delve into people’s personal lives via social networking sites. The girl handed over her login and password on request from her coach and teacher, presumably to find evidence of drinking or drug use. Instead, the teacher found a heated discussion of internal cheerleading politics and passed the information around to other school administrators. According to the lawsuit that followed, the student was then “publicly reprimanded, punished, and humiliated.” She’s getting legal help from the Student Press Law Center, and I hope they find some solid legal footing to stand on. The rest of us, take note: Your login information to any social networking site is yours and yours alone. [via Ars Technica]