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View Full Version : School used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home



Kuzman89
24-02-2010, 02:39 PM
How creepy is this?
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html
School used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home



According to the filings in Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) et al, the laptops issued to high-school students in the well-heeled Philly suburb have webcams that can be covertly activated by the schools' administrators, 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. The suit is a class action, brought on behalf of all students issued with these machines.

If true, these allegations are about as creepy as they come. I don't know about you, but I often have the laptop in the room while I'm getting dressed, having private discussions with my family, and so on. The idea that a school district would not only spy on its students' clickstreams and emails (bad enough), but also use these machines as AV bugs is purely horrifying.

Schools are in an absolute panic about kids divulging too much online, worried about pedos and marketers and embarrassing photos that will haunt you when you run for office or apply for a job in 10 years. They tell kids to treat their personal details as though they were precious.

your privacy is worthless and you shouldn't try to protect it.

Update: The school district admits that student laptops were shipped with software for covertly activating their webcams, but denies wrongdoing.


It's almost child pornography, assuming alot of the kids with these new laptops probably were spanking the monkey on em lol

Hamster
24-02-2010, 03:50 PM
And the worst thing is there are people in this world that try to justify these sorts of things as ok - makes you sick.

omgbees
24-02-2010, 04:17 PM
This why as soon as I get a lappy with a webcam I put tape over it XD

Kuzman89
25-02-2010, 10:45 AM
yeah smart move, any hacker with abit of skill could access your webcam or mic, I make sure I have neither plugged in, but for people with inbuilt, yeah you gotta be careful. Chairman Mao Krudd probably isn't far off using webcams to 'track pedo's' and the like lol

Caprice270
25-02-2010, 11:40 AM
Coming to the MySchool website soon.

The ALP is still pushing the "laptops for schools" program. 1.8 million laptops are still to be distributed. Hmmm I'm worried. Not so much about webcams, but definately about other forms of information gathering.

Here's any idea for the PM - cut taxes and let people buy their own laptops with the savings. Why does the government want to push laptops onto kids while taxing their parents at ridiculous rates on income, fuel, speed fines, house transfers...? The reason can only be sinister. I admit, spying is probably last on the list of reasons - its more likely that they want to divert cash into the pockets of ALP buddies involved in the program. Tax-money for political donations, that sort of thing.

Ofcourse the lefties have nothing against the Government becoming more involved in people's lives. Insulation and laptops - the ALP's hobby horses to please their core voters.

SS Enforcer
25-02-2010, 12:18 PM
What twisted individual wants to peer into a childs bedroom whilst their at home, honestly what do they expect to find ?

I can see a huge lawsuit being settled out of court for the lucky family. :)

cheers

vt2vx
25-02-2010, 12:33 PM
rudds having some fun insulation now this

SS Enforcer
25-02-2010, 12:50 PM
rudds having some fun insulation now this

This was in Philadelphia

cheers