Ask Me Help Desk - Schools spying on students

Schools spying on students

Lower Merion PA School District (RICH VERY RICH) is allegedly spying on their students. They issued laptops and are able to access the web cams and look in on the student when ever they want when the laptop is turned on. Just wanted to know what you as parents (or even if you don't have kids like me) thought of this. I would have smashed that lap top over the head of the school districts Superintendent. But these people are just going to sue.

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17...Boing+Boing%29

This seems more like an aberration of the IT group there rather than an overt school policy. The article is very short on details and I did not read the legal filing. I seriously doubt the scholl administrators started this as a policy and wantonly spied on students. My prediction: the IT staff responsible will be canned.

I was reading the legal filing and in there it basically says that the school district can access the computers webcam anytime it wants without any type authorization.

Even if the student isn't using the lap top but it is on it will capture whatever is in front of the web cam. I am not a legal guy but it sounds more on the school district then the IT staff.

You're right it does. They should be sued up the wazoo. There is an understanding that the school has ownership of their property (the laptop) and all that the student may put on it (including browsing history). This obviously goes too far.

I agree search history or anything else put on there is fair game. But to basically have a window into peoples homes goes WAY to far.

That does it ! I'm putting a piece of duct tape on the web cam immediately . Can't have the school watching all that sexting going on.

I don't even have a web cam. I really have no use for one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spitvenom

I don't even have a web cam. I really have no use for one.

Our family is loving using Skype. Grandparents can see and talk to the kids, we can take the laptop around the house if need be. Of course I'm an IT guy and I know and control everything that is on my computers.

Is it possible for a hacker to activate a webcam as the administrators of the school system did ?

I use skype but just as an IM. My wife has a lap top with a web cam and she uses skype with the web cam to talk to her family in CA. I love skype!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomder55

is it possible for a hacker to activate a webcam as the administrators of the school system did ?

If a hacker gets access to your system as an admin then yes, they could turn on the webcam. Streaming the feed in a stealth manner to a another computer takes a little extra doing.

Quote:

"who have used this facility to spy on students and even their families. The issue came to light when the Robbins's child was disciplined for "improper behavior in his home" and the Vice Principal used a photo taken by the webcam as evidence."

Yeah, that's about as creepy as it gets. Spying on them is bad enough, but disciplining a child for "improper behavior in his home" after spying on them is grounds an a$$ kicking and a lawsuit.

What did they really think was going to happen when they called the student to the office and showed him the picture of him in his house from the web cam?? Did they think the parents would be OK with this invasion of privacy?

Part of the reason why kids are such troublemakers nowadays is because people think that they have "rights". They run wild because they know that their stupid parents will excuse their bad behavior. When I was young, kids had two rights, the right to do what we were told and the right to shut the hell up. We need to return to those values.

Quote:

Originally Posted by earl237

Part of the reason why kids are such troublemakers nowadays is because people think that they have "rights". They run wild because they know that their stupid parents will excuse their bad behavior. When I was young, kids had two rights, the right to do what we were told and the right to shut the hell up. We need to return to those values.

The right to privacy in our own homes comes to mind.

This looks to me like another case of a bureaucrat taking stupidity up to government specs. If he had called the parents in and shown them the webcam vid, he might very easily have made Admin of the Year; or gotten arrested for peeping.

Quote:

Originally Posted by earl237

Part of the reason why kids are such troublemakers nowadays is because people think that they have "rights". They run wild because they know that their stupid parents will excuse their bad behavior. When I was young, kids had two rights, the right to do what we were told and the right to shut the hell up. We need to return to those values.

So if you had a daughter who had that lap top open while getting changed for bed the school district could have pictures of her naked. But that is OK with you because she has no rights.

I wonder how long they were watching this student it's not like a lap top can sense bad behavior and snap a picture. Some one was watching him. And that is just sick and creepy.

I think the lawsuit should be class action . If my child was in the district I would sign onto it.

Tom I thought I read on the papers that were filed that it was but I am not 100% sure.

They have a big problem here. The real issue is who the laptops belong to. ( also the stupidity of any school issuing laptops with webcams). But back to the facts. If they are owned as they have said by the government and that came by way of federal grants. Then by accepting the laptops it may have a implied consent that goes with it. Have you ever used wireless at a hotel? Did you read the fine print? When you use a government product anything and everything is in there. Its just plain stupidity in the first place. Also Im sure they didn't tell anyone because it was suppose to be for anti theft. The whole thing was never thought out.

And the backtracking and coverup begins...

My Way News - Pa. school official defended in webcam spy case

See the entire we only use the camera if the laptop was reported missing is BS. This Student never reported the lap top missing so why were they snapping pictures? When the student was called in to the office they suspected him of using drugs. Because the web cam took a picture of what looked like to be pills but in reality were Mike and Ike candy!!

So the question to me is Why were they snapping away?

GPS anyone? Did they really think a webcam was the best way to find a missing laptop?

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

GPS anyone? Did they really think a webcam was the best way to find a missing laptop?

They don't need GPS. And yes it is a good way because they have a picture of the perp. There is no denying it then. Like video cameras in stores.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catsmine

This looks to me like another case of a bureaucrat taking stupidity up to government specs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

The right to privacy in our own homes comes to mind.

Hello:

When you're scaird, you tell the part of government you righy's LOVE to "do what you gotta do to protect us". And you're happy when they pass a law called the Patriot Act, giving the government extraordinary powers to spy upon ourselves. Even IF it's not authorized, you certainly don't expect the government to care - especially when it's ferreting out crime.

What surprises me, is that you're surprised when the government actually DOES what you authorized them to do. I don't know what YOU think Vice means when he talks about "black ops", but I know what I think it is.

I'll bet your camera in your cell phone comes on when the government wants it to. Certainly they know where you ARE when you carry your cell phone.

I don't trust 'em. Never have and never will.

excon

Welcome back Excon, we all missed you.

I'll second the welcome back, Ex. Now Paraclete won't have to argue as the sole voice of liberalism.

Welcome back Ex.

Coincidently ;the Democrat majority passed an extension to the Patriot act yesterday .

Also waiting to hear which provision of the Patriot act allows school adminstrators to become voyers.