Pa. schools spy on students using laptop webcams

[Blacksheep]

Interesting and rather disturbing imho, your thoughts?

" A suburban Philadelphia school district remotely activates the cameras in school-provided laptops to spy on students in their homes, a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday alleged."

Find the entire article here:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti...g_laptop_webcams_claims_lawsuit?taxonomyId=84

 

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[jeff of pa]

Are the schools Trying to Get Kiddie Porn to sell ?

 

[DigginThePast]

"Approximately 1,800 students at the district's two high schools have been given laptops as part of a state- and federally-funded "one-to-one" student-to-laptop initiative."

I hope that the judge has the intestinal fortitude to slap this school district silly and further, send a message to the NEA if they are behind this! I wonder how many other school districts are doing this?

This story makes me quite angry, more loss of rights. The Supreme Court has established that a right to privacy is a basic human right (not specifally stated in the Constitution but in place due to the 9th Amendment). The privacy of the students as well as their family and friends has clearly been invaded.

 

[kawalabear]

that is really messed up. my son had one when he was in school i would of lost my mind if i knew that had happened to him.

 

[Zephyr]

Let's see.
1,800 high school kids with computers.
Wonder how long it would take for them to dig up dirt on the people spying on them?
(Kids always seem to know more about computers than adults do.... )

 

[Seamuss]

Sending computers home with kids that have cameras to spy on the kids. Doesn't this teach the kids that deception and spying is OK and teach them(the kids) that they can learn this to do it right back at them(the school system)?

What are we teaching kids these days and what is the REAL lesson that their learning here?

 

[BIG61AL]

Can you say....LAWSUIT?!

 

[Seamuss]

the news showed some parents upset enough already to file suit.

 

[Produce Guy]

It seems this happend at a major hotel chain a few years ago,they had laptops in each room with a webcam built right into the laptop,when you shut it off the camera still stayed on catching people doing whatever they do in hotel rooms,mmmmm......

 

[garrettfan2]

this is interesting. this is the fringe of total govt control. the govt, thru (harmless) school districts, provide free laptops to people who may not be able to afford them, or can. they simply ask that the laptops include cameras. one problem. just like onstar and GPS, it works both ways. you know where you are. so does whoever else. police, govt, UN, world police. it all starts somewhere and if we the people agree to the terms by accepting the govt handouts, we havent lost anything, we have given it away. think cash for credit (convienence), gps for not getting lost etc. check into Bible prophecy to learn more. sorry to be so heavy, but someone has to sound the alarm. gf2 in tx

 

[sniffer]

A school administrator told reporters that the cameras were only used if the computers were stolen,
however the way this came to light, was when the school took this kid into an office and accused him of selling drugs in HIS bedroom and then showed him the picture of it from the webcam.
This is nothing but an invasion of privacy and should be dealt with immediately.
anybody involved with this who knew about the cameras and how they were being used, should be terminated immediately with a complete forfeture of any and all benefits. plus prosecution for civil right violations and invasion of privacy.
there is nothing in this world that would give them the right to do this without court order and I highly doubt any court would give a school permission to even use the cameras for tracking.

 

[Blacksheep]

Related to this topic and the reason I check the "no" box on the permission slips sent home by the schools every year for permission to use the internet at school (what ever happened to reading a book).

Don't get me wrong, I do believe using computers to learn has its place but the schools refuse to utilize the technology available to block sites such as "myspace". If I can block them and keep it blocked in my home, why then cant the schools do the same?

(Note this guys comment at 40 seconds into the clip)

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>

 

[sniffer]

I've been lucky enough to afford to purchase laptops for my children, so I won't have to worry about them using a school computer or bringing one into my home.
I believe that the parents of the child in this case has brought a federal lawsuit against the school

 

[jeff of pa]

another Use for Duct Tape
Put a Piece over the Camera Lense.

IF The School Complains

You know How they found out
& File a $100,000,000,000,000.00
Lawsuit in behalf of all the
Students

 

[ivan salis]

knowledge is power duct tape the camera and look for "sound bugs" as well as video feed -- oh yah big brother will "provide" you with things --with strings attached of course -- even with your "privately" bought stuff --like cell phones --they got both GPS tracking and freq listening abilty by listening in on your "broadcast" via their satellite listening abilitys (with a old fashioned land lines * by law they need a "wire tap" permit from a judge and had to show "just cause" to get one due to the laws put in place long ago to prevent the US govt evesdropping / spying on its own citizens == since cell phone have "no wires" to tap -- and the fact that govt says in effect your "broadcasting" when using a cell phone so theres no "expectation of privicy" and of course they are not going to "update" the law to refect todays "modern tech" since they can "legally" by law do as they please now )--the old model cellphones did not have the trackabile features the govt wanted them to have so they got the phone company's switch operational freqs to "kill" off the old non trackible phones --forcing folks to get the "new" trackible phones with the tracking stuff built in to em)-- they can if they wish to so long as its got power in its battery by triangling cellphone "pings" tell exactly where you where at and when if you carry your cell phone with you --in effect "your bugged"-- think folks in the casey anthony murder case they talk all the time about cell phones "pings" showing her moms phone was at place A or place B at certain times --hello folks --orwells 1984 is here and now or at the very least well on its way.

 

[jeff of pa]

Yep Call me Paranoid,
But I Didn't Buy My Cell Phone
for it's ability to Video or snap Pics
& Put Duct Tape over the Lense
shortly after I got it.

Can't do anything about the Tracking or sound,
untill it's Misused & I Can file a Trillion dollar suit.

 

[ivan salis]

when the facts clearly show whats happening thats not being paranoid --that being knowledgeable

paranoid folks are afraid of stuff without just cause of things harming them -- this is "just cause" to be worried and not paranoid in the least, --its a totally illegal invasion of personal privicy--- granted by the constitution -- a person shall be safe in their person and papers (not spied upon or illegally searched with out a warrant in todays terms)--- hey bubby wheres your search warrant?

 

[DigginThePast]

There should be a big lawsuit over this issue but the amount should not exceed the property and future earnings of those that are responsible for allowing this to happen and those assets are what should be at stake.

A huge lawsuit that is paid out by taxpayer money is not going to do any good in stopping this sort of thing from happening. These people will hide behind the protection provided to them by the very people they are violating, the taxpayer.

 

[DigginThePast]

Word is getting around. Posted 37 minutes ago on Yahoo:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_laptops_spying_on_students

 

[ivan salis]

for lost / stolen computer location for "recovery" purposes (as a costly bit of public "accountible" property the ability to recover it would be important)-- a mere gps locator --similar to whats in cell phones could have been "installed" -- so there was no need for "spy" web cam and mic -- or "spying" abilitys to be installed in the first place .