When will Congress act and pass a law making it illegal for schools and employers to force people to turn over their credentials to things like Facebook, Twitter and even Email? Here’s the latest:

In the Minnesota case, the 12-year-old girl, known only as RS, is said to have been punished by teachers at Minnewaska Area Middle School for things she wrote on Facebook while at home, and using her own computer.

The ACLU is arguing that her First and Fourth Amendment rights, which protect freedom of speech and freedom from illegal searches respectively, were violated.

She is said to have been punished with detention after using Facebook to criticise a school hall monitor, and again after a fellow student told teachers that she had discussed sex online.

The article goes on to explain that school officials as well as a deputy sheriff interrogated the girl until she relinquished the information. Why was law enforcement involved in something that had no legal implications, except for the pure harassment effect?

And this school isn’t the only case:

In an recent investigation, the TV station MSNBC found that many university sports departments now require students to “friend” their coach, giving officials access to their “friends-only” posts.

The University of North Carolina handbook reads: “Each team must identify at least one coach or administrator who is responsible for having access to and regularly monitoring the content of team members’ social networking sites and postings.

“The athletics department also reserves the right to have other staff members monitor athletes’ posts.”

This is why we need a law passed banning this practice. Hopefully someone will listen and get the ball rolling.