BIG TEACHER IS WATCHING YOU

[Blouman Empire]

Not knowing the laws were you are, but in the US, schools are responcible from the time students leave the house till they return there on school days (Depending on other factors).

There are some additional areas where schools can have a say (For example, working jobs that would interfere with study time), but there is nothing I can think of to justify monitoring student behavor at home like this, especially if it was done after the parents returned to the house.

Well yeah I think it included on the way to school as well.

But regardless of whether the parents there are not there should be no reason why schools are monitoring or should even have a say in what a student does in their own home.

[G-L-O-V-E]

The suit alleges that the student verified through the assistant principal that the school district "in fact has the ability to remotely activate the webcam contained in a student's personal laptop computer issued by the school district at any time it chose and to view and capture whatever images were in front of the webcam, all without the knowledge, permission or authorization of any persons then and there using the laptop computer."

Thats what one of the reports says.

Who in hell would believe that, let alone say "Yes, Mrs Principal lady, you can watch me like that TV show big brother!" ? I would personally go down to that school and kick there asses for doing that, if it was me.

Add a new thing to your kids "don't" lists, parents.

-Don't accept laptops from schools unless the CIA checks it for bugs.

[Resolute Prime]

The suit alleges that the student verified through the assistant principal that the school district "in fact has the ability to remotely activate the webcam contained in a student's personal laptop computer issued by the school district at any time it chose and to view and capture whatever images were in front of the webcam, all without the knowledge, permission or authorization of any persons then and there using the laptop computer."

Thats what one of the reports says.

Who in hell would believe that, let alone say "Yes, Mrs Principal lady, you can watch me like that TV show big brother!" ? I would personally go down to that school and kick there asses for doing that, if it was me.

Add a new thing to your kids "don't" lists, parents.

-Don't accept laptops from schools unless the CIA checks it for bugs.

who then plants their own bugs!

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Big teacher is watching you? Sounds like a overly overly ridiculous idea that has gone too far. To be honest, I always bought my own laptop, then placed a piece of duct tape over the webcam for extra measure.

[Newfoundworld]

Oh man, I'd freak if I got caught masturbating - what the fuck do you do when your school catches you?

Dude ... That's the kind of shit that makes people go suicidal.

[Delator]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/84715297.html?cmpid=15585797

You know, I really have to wonder what the thought process was here for the school district to think this is a good idea.

e: link to court documents http://craphound.com/robbins17.pdf

...and once again, my "No Owning a Webcam, EVER" policy proves sound.

[Karsol]

All those poor boys and their masturbatory habits...

[Meoton]

If they did get images or video of students committing sexual acts or in various states of undress, wouldn't that constitute child pornography by the laws currently enacted in the U.S. and most states?
I think law enforcement should go after them with every tool ( ) they have, like they would anyone else who committed similar invasions of privacy.

[Meridistan]

Oh man, I'd freak if I got caught masturbating - what the fuck do you do when your school catches you?

Dude ... That's the kind of shit that makes people go suicidal.

Turn them in for possession of child pornography?

[The Lone Alliance]

You know I really think this is past the point of just suing them.

This is BIG, this is federal level charges here. They need to make an example of this school. Make it so NO ONE will even think about pulling this crap again.

Whoever thought it up should be brought up for violating civil rights...

And for underage porn.

[Astholm]

This, if it happened over here in the United Kingdom, would result in a media storm. It is a gross privacy infringement. Yes, there may be abuse of school property (the laptops) but you're never going to 100% stop it; doesn't mean it's right, though.

However, an internal investigation could be run into this; then again all the costs of funding it may cause controversy, so it's a big no-win situation for all really.

(As for misuse of school/college computers, surely we've all been there, haven't we?)

[SaintB]

While they are at it they should file criminal charges. I'm sure they can find one or two to toss at them.

[Karsol]

While they are at it they should file criminal charges. I'm sure they can find one or two to toss at them.

Possesion of CP to be one of them.

[Blitzkrenia]

Great. That just made me even more paranoid.

[Vojvodina-Nihon]

I guess the most obvious questions to ask are - who owned the laptops in question? If it was the school or education department, then they have a right to dictate what they can be used for, and what they can't. And did the students sign any sort of terms of use agreement - if they did, the school has a perfectly legitimate right to punish them for violating it. I have a school laptop as an educator, and I am well aware of the rules governing it's use, including that the school can monitor what I do with it. Our students in Australia are subjected to the same terms as we are, and are not stupid enough to use school issued equipment to do things like this.

While I am a big advocate for protection of privacy, I really don't see that this is an issue, unless the laptops were gifted to the students or purchased by the families.

I don't think you really read the article, to be honest -- just saw "school board under attack? must defend!"

I'm sure your supervisors will be glad to know that you seem to have no issue with them activating any webcam attached to your school-issued laptop in order to watch you without your knowledge. They'd probably find it irritating if you got upset with them over their growing collection of pictures of you in, ahem, dishabille.


[Rereading the more recent posts: Okay, so you misunderstood. Still, no-one's argued that schools shouldn't have the right to monitor students' usage of school laptops, so that's not really the concern here. Notice how few people are complaining about the keylogger -- most students wouldn't try to purchase things online using a school laptop for instance, and if they do and thus compromise the security of their credit cards, well, important lesson learned.

Although the fact that a suit is being filed suggests that there was no written agreement regarding the laptops -- it was just "here students, free laptops. give them back at the end of the year" -- so the keyloggers will become a problem, most likely.]

[The chrisman union]

I always knew that those guys were watching me. *dons tinfoil hat*

[Bottle]

It's sad, but when I first heard this story I simply assumed it was because some school administrators wanted to make child porn by videotaping students secretly.

That's how low my opinion of people has gone.

[Hindopia]

Seriously, now that I read that I don't want Kevin Rudds laptop that he proimised for every student over year 9 (or whatever the age was). Not that it will happen anymore, but if it did then I would refuse it.

I agree with those on here that say criminal charges should be laid against those responsible. It's just sickening to think a school would do that to their students.

[Ifreann]

This is horribly wrong, horribly. And further, stupid beyond the ability of the English language to properly express. The fuck, if you're going to break so many laws you should probably not announce to people that you're doing it.

[Tekania]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/84715297.html?cmpid=15585797

You know, I really have to wonder what the thought process was here for the school district to think this is a good idea.

e: link to court documents http://craphound.com/robbins17.pdf

One of my wife's former principles used to remotely spy on the desktops of teachers and students while they were AT SCHOOL... (Which made it humerous, because when she caught someone using their laptop and the school network/internet for something they shouldn't be, their first knowledge of being caught would be her on the intercom telling said child to report to the principles off with their laptop....)....

This school however, has crossed WAAAAY over that line.

[Tekania]

That's awful. If that happend to me I'd go on a laptop smashing rampage.

Also kind of creepy that the school can reprimand you for "inappropriate behavior in your own home."

So, I guess if you jerk off in view of the camera the school can punish you. Regardless of being in your own home.

Actually two years ago my wife caught a kid looking at saved porn on their laptop in class, and the laptop was confiscated... The parents threw a tizzy about the confiscation and threw a fit accusing the school of exposing their child to pornography by letting them have access to it while at school.... They didn't do so wall after when it was shown that the history showed they downloaded the stuff while at home, and not school...

[Ifreann]

This school however, has crossed WAAAAY over that line.

They're so far past the line they've looped back to half an inch behind the line and they're acting all "What? We're not over the line."

[Laerod]

[Rereading the more recent posts: Okay, so you misunderstood. Still, no-one's argued that schools shouldn't have the right to monitor students' usage of school laptops, so that's not really the concern here. Notice how few people are complaining about the keylogger -- most students wouldn't try to purchase things online using a school laptop for instance, and if they do and thus compromise the security of their credit cards, well, important lesson learned.

What about checking your email? Again, this isn't so much of an issue that they have a key-logger, but that it appears no one knew about that either.

[Laerod]

This is horribly wrong, horribly. And further, stupid beyond the ability of the English language to properly express. The fuck, if you're going to break so many laws you should probably not announce to people that you're doing it.

What I'm guessing happened is that they caught the student doing something illegal and figured he would be too afraid to speak up.

[Ifreann]

[Rereading the more recent posts: Okay, so you misunderstood. Still, no-one's argued that schools shouldn't have the right to monitor students' usage of school laptops, so that's not really the concern here. Notice how few people are complaining about the keylogger -- most students wouldn't try to purchase things online using a school laptop for instance, and if they do and thus compromise the security of their credit cards, well, important lesson learned.

What about checking your email? Again, this isn't so much of an issue that they have a key-logger, but that it appears no one knew about that either.

If I put a keylogger on someone's computer without their knowledge I'd be a hacker and a criminal(probably). Naturally the same applies if a school does the same.