Schools Spying on Students at Home Thru Laptop Webcams

[Bruce Clemens]

Source

Class-action suit alleges schools remotely activate Webcams on school-issued notebooks

According to the lawsuit filed by a high school student and his parents, the Lower Merion School District of Ardmore, Pa. has spied on students and families by "indiscriminate use of and ability to remotely activate the Webcams incorporated into each laptop issued to students by the School District."

Michael and Holly Robbins of Penn Valley, Pa., said they first found out about the alleged spying last November after their son Blake was accused by a Harriton High School official of "improper behavior in his home" and shown a photograph taken by his laptop.

An assistant principal at Harriton later confirmed that the district could remotely activate the Webcam in students' laptops. "Michael Robbins thereafter verified, through [Assistant Principal] Ms. Matsko, 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," the lawsuit stated.

[David Guyatt]

What a disgrace. I hope the lawsuit is successful.

[Keith Millea]

I know I cuss alot,so thanks for putting up with me here.That said:

Holy Fuckin' Shit Man!!!!!!!!!

[David Guyatt]

Call that cussing?

You should hear my wife on a Sunday morning on the way to church.

That's cussing...

[Bruce Clemens]

from here.

My Emphasis

OK, so back to my interview with Young, in which he admits that the school district has used the webcam "security feature" more than once, and that they're not alone in doing so:

City Paper: Has the school district used this security feature before?
Doug Young: Yes, a handful of times. We only used it when a laptop was reported stolen, lost or missing.

CP: Did Blake Robbins steal the laptop?
DY: I can't refer to the specifics of the case, but I can say that the feature would not be activated unless it was reported stolen. A student or family member would have to report that it was stolen for us to use it.

CP: Why not just use an IP address to find the laptop?
DY: That's a good question, I don't know why. I'll have to get back to you about that. I can say that the software feature isn't just utilized in this school district. It's utilized by other school districts and organizations.

CP: Which school districts?
DY: I'll have to get back to you on that.

[Keith Millea]

Call that cussing?

You should hear my wife on a Sunday morning on the way to church.

That's cussing...

David,you just made my day.God,I needed a good laugh............