Cyberbully law allows Illinois schools to demand pupils' Facebook passwords

There's an emerging threat hanging over the heads of school cyberbullies: a new law will force children to hand over their Facebook passwords.

A controversial measure, which came into effect on January 1 in the US state of Illinois, insists children must open up their social media accounts if a school has reasonable cause to believe a pupil has violated a school's policy on social media, even if the post in question appears after school hours.

The move comes as cyberbullying is on the rise but also at a time when other US states have passed legislation forbidding schools from invading students' privacy on social media.

Some Illinois parents have already expressed concern after receiving letters from school districts informing them about the new rules.

"It's one thing for me to take my child's social media account and open it up, or for the teacher to look or even a child to pull up their social media account," said Sara Bozarth. "But to have to hand over your password and personal information is not acceptable to me."

Leigh Lewis, school district superintendent for Triad Community Schools in Troy, Illinois, said media reports about the new rules had "taken the letter out of context and created an unnecessary controversy".