Gov't School Used Webcams To Spy On Students At Home!

[Lounge Daddy]

From [url="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_laptops_spying_on_students"]an [i]AP[/i] article[/url]:
[indent]
A suburban Philadelphia school district used the webcams in school-issued laptops to spy on students at home, potentially catching them and their families in compromising situations, a family claims in a federal lawsuit.

Lower Merion School District officials would not comment on the accusation, but angry students have already responded by putting tape on their laptop cameras and microphones.

Sophomore Tom Halpern described students as “pretty disgusted,” and noted that his class recently read “1984,” the George Orwell classic that coined the term “Big Brother.”

“This is just bogus,” said Halpern, 15, of Wynnewood, as he left Harriton High School on Thursday with his taped-up computer. “I just think it’s really despicable that they have the ability to just watch me all the time.”

…

The Robbinses said they learned of the alleged webcam images when Lindy Matsko, an assistant principal at Harriton High School, told their son Blake that school officials thought he had engaged in improper behavior at home. The behavior was not specified in the suit.

“(Matsko) cited as evidence a photograph from the webcam embedded in minor plaintiff’s personal laptop issued by the school district,” the suit states. The behavior was not specified in the suit, which did not make clear whether the family had seen any photographs captured by school officials.

Matsko later confirmed to Michael Robbins that the school had the ability to activate the webcams remotely, according to the suit, which was filed Tuesday and which seeks class-action status.

The Robbinses declined to speak with an Associated Press reporter at their home Thursday. Their lawyer, Mark S. Haltzman, did not return messages.[/indent]

[Lounge Daddy]

I also linked it up at my blog, [url="http://www.withoutadjectives.com/?p=1028"]Without Adjectives[/url]

[ThePenciledOne]

This was going to come to light eventually.

[Jesus_lol]

they must have know it would come up sooner or later, or they havent the brains to walk and breath at the same time.

on another note, if i was a student there and figured this out, it might be the best reason to ever moon a computer.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Jesus_lol

[zunshynn]

Wasn't there a PMer that said his school issued laptops to everyone a couple of months ago?



I don't know how someone could NOT be suspicious of that. It's crazy.

[Tony]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' date='19 February 2010 - 02:04 AM' timestamp='1266559458' post='2059311']


on another note, if i was a student there and figured this out, it might be the best reason to ever moon a computer.
[/quote]

your avatar goes very well with this statement,

But seriously, this is scary! How do we know whoever came up with this didn't have pedophile intentions?

Edited February 19, 2010 by Tony

[Nihil Obstat]

The implications of this are mind boggling-ly enormous. The more you consider it, the more all encompassing this lawsuit may be. Who was watching these webcams? When? What did they see? What did they hear? Did they treat students differently because of things that they heard or saw which were said/done with the expectation of privacy? Were any records saved?
Every question opens up a thousand more, and a thousand more appalling potential invasions of privacy.

In the worst case scenario, this could potentially be one of the biggest scandals in the western world, ever. In my opinion.
Or at least it should be.
(If these allegations are true to the fullest and grossest extent.)

[Christie_M]

I hope the school or the people behind the webcams get what they deserve. Who gave them the right to invade these students privacy, home and freedom?

[homeschoolmom]

Wow... it's great to see a school district doing so well finacially that they are willing to open themselves up to a class-action lawsuit just for giggles.

[Lounge Daddy]

The government schools systems are going to be as invasive as the government, right? So ... not good for the families.

[quote name='ThePenciledOne' date='18 February 2010 - 09:29 PM' timestamp='1266546587' post='2059125']
This was going to come to light eventually.
[/quote]

What did you know, and how long did you know it?

[cmotherofpirl]

ANY webcam can be remotely triggered. Why is anyone surprised?
PBS has a whole show on schools who had given computers to kids, and the teacher could remotely access any of the kids computers to see what they are doing. The kids and parents all knew it. THe only difference here is that it sounds like after hours nebbiness.

If you want to get technical your cable box sitting on your tv is a computer as well, think about it...
ANY line that can being stuff into your home can potentially take stuff out of your home.

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='19 February 2010 - 02:09 AM' timestamp='1266559743' post='2059318']
Wasn't there a PMer that said his school issued laptops to everyone a couple of months ago?

[/quote]

I think that was Ponti

[Lounge Daddy]

Many members of the political class believe that, to quot [url="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=4569355&page=1"]a California judge[/url], the "primary purpose of the educational system is to train schoolchildren in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare." In other words, government schools are indoctrination machines that enforce loyalty to the State.

They believe this because they believe that the private class is owned by the State. So as the government gets bigger and more invasive, expect more of this.

[Brother Adam]

What's the name of that movie about a couple that a government agent is sent to spy on for the state by planting microphones in their apartment and listening to them all the time?

[elizabeth09]

This will go on, for how long?