Schools Spying On Students

[The_Dude 1,142]

Schools gave students computers, then used webcams to spy on them: lawsuit

Lesley Ciarula Taylor

A wealthy suburban Philadelphia school district spied on its students with webcams in school-issued laptops, a lawsuit filed by one student’s parents charges.

Students only found out about the snooping when a principal told a student they had a picture of him doing something wrong in his home, the suit says.

“The school district has the ability to intercept images from that webcam of anyone or anything appearing in front of the camera at the time of activation,” the lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District claims.

“The school district has the ability to remotely activate the embedded webcam at any time,” the lawsuit says.

“Many of the images captured may consist of minors and their parents or friends in compromising or embarrassing positions, including various stages of undress.”

It was only when an assistant principal at Harriton High School told Grade 10 student Blake Robbins she had a picture that proved he “was engaged in improper behaviour in his home” that anyone realized the school could peep into students’ home lives without them knowing, the lawsuit says.

Assistant principal Lindy Matsko “cited as evidence a photograph from the webcam embedded in” Robbins’ school-issued laptop, the lawsuit says.

Blake’s parents, Michael and Holly Robbins, filed the lawsuit Feb. 11 on behalf of all 1,800 students at Lower Merion’s schools. The lawsuit alleges the webcams violate the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of privacy, Pennsylvania common law, the U.S. Civil Rights Act, and a variety of other laws.

In his welcome to students, posted on the district website, school district superintendent Dr. Christopher McGinley speaks glowingly of the program to give every student their own laptop and create “an authentic, mobile, 21st century learning environment.”

The program “ensures that all students have 24/7 access to school-based resources.”

The Robbins lawsuit contends the district also had 24/7 access to the students “by the unauthorized, inappropriate and indiscriminate remote activation of a webcam.”

Serving the wealthy Main Line outside of Philadelphia, the Lower Merion School District “is one of only two districts in Pennsylvania to earn Moody’s highest bond rating,” information in McGinley’s biography says. Its teachers are among the highest paid in Pennsylvania and its students’ college-entrance scores are among the highest in the country, the information says.

Superintendent McGinley, the Robbins family, and their attorneys were not immediately available for comment Thursday.

Source

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My biggest question is whether or not the school knew that the laptops had this capacity, or was it something discovered and manipulated after the fact. Either way, the mere access to this is duplicitous at best.

[Peikko 1,575]

That's incredibly wrong no matter what the 'good intentions' will be floated for its use. And people think the UK is too big brother with their cctv. At least we know the bloody things are there!

[Ali G. 37]

People clearly wake up everyday in the US and look for things to sue for. Douches...

It's a school owned laptop, why should there be any privacy? If you want privacy, purchase your own laptop. Surely some idiot who has enough money to hire a lawyer, has enough money to purchase their totally awesome child a laptop of their own.

That's incredibly wrong no matter what the 'good intentions' will be floated for its use. And people think the UK is too big brother with their cctv. At least we know the bloody things are there!

Why? While I do call this extreme, it's government property. Both the kid and parent would have know that. Had this kid been using it for illegal activity, then the same moronic parents would cry murder that the school fails to monitor the laptops. Damned if you do, damned if you don't really.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Booyah

[natty bumppo 297]

People clearly wake up everyday in the US and look for things to sue for. Douches...

It's a school owned laptop, why should there be any privacy? If you want privacy, purchase your own laptop. Surely some idiot who has enough money to hire a lawyer, has enough money to purchase their totally awesome child a laptop of their own.

Why? While I do call this extreme, it's government property. Both the kid and parent would have know that.

imagine a photo captured by the school by remote activation of the camera ... a photo of a child at home undressed or dressing

someone is going away for a very long time .... i think this will get real ugly in a hurry.

i can easily see all the laptops being collected and computer forensic experts going through them and the schools servers.

People clearly wake up everyday in the US and look for things to sue for. Douches...

It's a school owned laptop, why should there be any privacy? If you want privacy, purchase your own laptop. Surely some idiot who has enough money to hire a lawyer, has enough money to purchase their totally awesome child a laptop of their own.

Why? While I do call this extreme, it's government property. Both the kid and parent would have know that.

imagine a photo captured by the school by remote activation of the camera ... a photo of a child at home undressed or dressing

someone is going away for a very long time .... i think this will get real ugly in a hurry.

i can easily see all the laptops being collected and computer forensic experts going through them and the schools servers.

[ValerieA 350]

Nah, this was a total invasion of privacy under the guise of education. And totally illegal - isn't the law that at least one of the people being recorded, must know they are being recorded?

What information did they think they were going to get about the students that would be of benefit to their education? Teachers are not parents, the educational system, while often unfairly expected to raise children, do NOT belong in their homes unless child abuse is suspected.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Man. It's sick. The principal was participating in child porn. He saw naked children masterbating. This is so wrong in all levels.

[Fandango 1,440]

I can see the students not having a reasonable expectation of privacy for whatever they STORE on the laptop, as it is not theirs. But a remote activated cam is just beyond outrageous.

[The_Dude 1,142]

People clearly wake up everyday in the US and look for things to sue for. Douches...

It's a school owned laptop, why should there be any privacy? If you want privacy, purchase your own laptop. Surely some idiot who has enough money to hire a lawyer, has enough money to purchase their totally awesome child a laptop of their own.

Why? While I do call this extreme, it's government property. Both the kid and parent would have know that. Had this kid been using it for illegal activity, then the same moronic parents would cry murder that the school fails to monitor the laptops. Damned if you do, damned if you don't really.

School districts have no authority once a child is at home. Furthermore, there IS a reasonable belief of privacy at home. If the school had notified each child and their parents when issueing the laptop that these computers had this capability and that school administrators would be taking screenshots and or video of them from time to time to see what each child was up to, I venture that a large proprtion would have either declined the laptop, or disabled the webcam. This is an invasion of privacy and I'll bet it will cost the school district dearly.

[Ali G. 37]

imagine a photo captured by the school by remote activation of the camera ... a photo of a child at home undressed or dressing

someone is going away for a very long time .... i think this will get real ugly in a hurry.

i can easily see all the laptops being collected and computer forensic experts going through them and the schools servers.

You are right, therefore, schools should not hand out anything to anyone. That way when the kid is caught accessing or using it for other illegal activities, they won't be bitched at or sued for 'not monitoring' it.

Why in the hell would anyone order school laptops with web cams in them anyway? Well it is Phili, hence http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;pid=3723220

Edited February 18, 2010 by Booyah

[Ali G. 37]

School districts have no authority once a child is at home. Furthermore, there IS a reasonable belief of privacy at home. If the school had notified each child and their parents when issueing the laptop that these computers had this capability and that school administrators would be taking screenshots and or video of them from time to time to see what each child was up to, I venture that a large proprtion would have either declined the laptop, or disabled the webcam. This is an invasion of privacy and I'll bet it will cost the school district dearly.

Invasion of privacy? If I loan you my phone, I should have every right to keep tabs on it; as it's my phone. Now, for them to access the webcam remotely, some special software would have to have been installed to do so; which is really pushing it.

Why should it cost them dearly? Those responsible should be fired, with criminal charges pending, if deemed illegal. Well that is how we do it in every other first world country outside the States, hence our first world status. The thought that someone can sure for millions because of this, is ridiculous and lunacy on any level. Hence, once again, why no other OECD nation allows such idiotic lawsuits.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Booyah

[natty bumppo 297]

You are right, therefore, schools should not hand out anything to anyone. That way when the kid is caught accessing or using it for other illegal activities, they won't be bitched at or sued for 'not monitoring' it.

Why in the hell would anyone order school laptops with web cams in them anyway? Well it is Phili, hence http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;pid=3723220

the data on the laptop should be periodically reviewed for illegal or inappropriate content with appropriate disciplinary taken for violating this policy.

a remotely activated webcam ... is beyond a stupid act by the school board. i hope people go to jail for this.

[Ali G. 37]

Reality is that the US has the crappiest privacy laws out there anyway. These inadequate federal laws are why an ex can take and sell material without both parties permission; it's why someone who has taken a photo of you, can do with it as they please; it's why private companies are allowed to purchase, sell, store and trade our personal information, without any explicit permission from us to do so. Practices highly illegal in both Canada and Australia might I add.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Booyah

[ScottThuy 140]

As long as the school was not activating the webcam, I see no issue. The units were property of the school and intended to be used for school. This is not different than an employeeusing a company machine. If they did remotely activate the WC and spy, then they are going to have alot of explaining.

[Ban Hammer 14,810]

someone's going to jail for a long time. sounds like someone in that school admin is a pedophile too.

[Ali G. 37]

someone's going to jail for a long time. sounds like someone in that school admin is a pedophile too.

Ordering laptops with webcams on student computers is just asking for trouble.