An amendment that would have prevented employers from demanding your social media passwords was defeated by House Republicans on Wednesday.

The measure, which was attached to a larger FCC bill, was introduced by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and defeated on a vote of 236-185.

"What this amendment does is it says that you cannot demand, as a condition of employment, that somebody reveal a confidential password to their Facebook, to their Flickr, to their Twitter, whatever their account may be," Perlmutter said during a floor debate before the vote.

The password amendment met resistance from House Republicans, who didn't consider the amendment necessary despite Perlmutter's insistence that the amendment "would not change the overall impact or intent of the FCC Reform Act."

Some Republicans, however, were open to addressing the problem in a separate bill.

The issue of employers demanding Facebook and Twitter passwords from prospective or current employees began making headlines after a recent report called attention to the phenomenon.

Since those initial reports, the response has been strong and swift. U.S. senator Richard Blumenthal (D.-Conn.) is planning on to introduce a bill to prevent the practice. Blumenthal, along with Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.), is also calling for the Department of Justice to investigate the issue. Facebook also came out against the practice in a statement.

However, one of the lead writers of the original Associated Press story told the Hartford Courant that the practice "doesn't seem to be widespread."

Do you think there should be a law to prevent employers from accessing your social media passwords? Sound off in the comments below.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, PashaIgnatov