PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

[Jdurg]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

I only have a problem with the school using a webcam to spy on the kids at home. Why should the school have access to what the kids are doing, when not on the school computer, and outside of the school?

I have no problems with the school looking through the student's browser history, or investigating the files on the computer because unless the kid paid for the computer and software with his own money, it is the property of the school and they have every right to look through their own property. In addition, the fact that the school has the right to browse through the kids' computers, and that the school is the only one with administrative rights for the computers, should have been mentioned when handing out the laptops.

In my job, we are issued company computers on our first day of employment. We are told MANY times that the computers are not our property, but the property of the company and that they have every right to search through it at any and all times. They also retain all administrative rights so we can't install anything on there unless we get approval from the company and their IT folk do the installation. Basically, you'd have to be an idiot to browse porn on it, or go to websites that are "iffy" even if you are browsing from you own home network. Still, there are some stupid people who treat the computer as if it was their own and have done many very, VERY stupid things. I have no remorse for those individuals who have done iffy things and gotten escorted out by security because of it. If you work at our company, you certainly make enough money to buy your own personal computer using your own money. There's no need to basically steal the company's computer and then cry foul when your are repremanded for doing things with it our company specifically and clearly prohibit!

[JBH3]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

The school can't override the changed grades? That doesn't make any sense.

Not now since the principal said going into their accounts to see if they somehow hacked in is a violation of their privacy.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

hmmmm turning off remote access only takes 10 seconds to do. I remember 2 years ago Gateway and Dell got in trouble for the same thing. At that time, I don't know if it still is now, but back then if you bought a Dell or Gateway laptop or computer remote access was on by default, which allowed Dell and Gateway to access your PC at anytime without consent.

They claim it was for tech support. However they had some freaky IT guys who would turn on the built in web cams on laptops of all female registered laptop owners spying on them. Since in case many of you don't know, a lot of women check email early in the morning or late at night right before bed or work with little to nothing on at all.

Or they would do web cam adult stuff shows for their husbands or boyfriends stationed over seas or away at a different college, etc. These IT guys were doing it for years and only got caught when one of the women husbands installed a firewalll and it kept detecting somebody trying to remote access the laptop everyday at the same time.

So I am telling you all now, turn off the remote access.

[Alliball]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100219/ap_on_re_us/us_laptops_spying_on_students

This story looks a little different just a day later.

[Keirik]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

And what if these cams caught pics of kids naked? Then you're in possession of child pornography.

wtf? Accidentally ending up with someone hald naked on camera doesn't magically turn it into pornography.

wtf?


besides.....why in the world would you end up recording naked kids in a classroom?

Take out the cameras from the bathroom and locker rooms. No way cameras belong there, but everywhere else? Why not?

You're practically always on camera somewhere when you're out in public.

[Pokes]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

wtf? Accidentally ending up with someone hald naked on camera doesn't magically turn it into pornography.

wtf?


besides.....why in the world would you end up recording naked kids in a classroom?

Take out the cameras from the bathroom and locker rooms. No way cameras belong there, but everywhere else? Why not?

You're practically always on camera somewhere when you're out in public.

???

We're talking about the webcams on the laptops not cameras in bathrooms or locker rooms. Did you even read the article?

Anyways the FBI is now getting involved.

Official: FBI probing Pa. school webcam spy case

[Keirik]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

???

We're talking about the webcams on the laptops not cameras in bathrooms or locker rooms. Did you even read the article?

Anyways the FBI is now getting involved.

Official: FBI probing Pa. school webcam spy case

yeah i did, and accidentally catching someone naked doesn't make it pornography. Putting cameras in lockerrooms or bathrooms where its going to be known kids will be naked does.

It's a laptop. Sure the potential of accidentally catching things unintended is there, but that doesn't make it to the level of being in possession of pornography.

Get it?

[CX1329]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

yeah i did, and accidentally catching someone naked doesn't make it pornography. Putting cameras in lockerrooms or bathrooms where its going to be known kids will be naked does.

It's a laptop. Sure the potential of accidentally catching things unintended is there, but that doesn't make it to the level of being in possession of pornography.

Get it?

The school knows, or has the obligation to know that the students being issued laptops may appear on their respective webcams in a state of undress, considering that the students are bound to take these laptops into their bedrooms, wherein they will be naked sooner or later.

There's no clever way to circumvent the law here. Luring kids into appearing naked on remotely activated webcams is just as bad as explicitly making child pornography.

There's no such thing as giving students laptops with remotely activated video cameras, willfully switching the cameras on without the consent of the persons involved, then going "whoops, naked minor, my bad!" without having any legal consequences take place.

[Keirik]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

The school knows, or has the obligation to know that the students being issued laptops may appear on their respective webcams in a state of undress, considering that the students are bound to take these laptops into their bedrooms, wherein they will be naked sooner or later.

There's no clever way to circumvent the law here. Luring kids into appearing naked on remotely activated webcams is just as bad as explicitly making child pornography.

There's no such thing as giving students laptops with remotely activated video cameras, willfully switching the cameras on without the consent of the persons involved, then going "whoops, naked minor, my bad!" without having any legal consequences take place.

100% wrong. Opinion as we all know is what is suspected to occur but as far as the law is concerned, there is no truth to the idea that "we know what there's a chance a child may appear naked on the camera" as per being pornography. It's just not the way pornography works.

It is wrong to tape them,, but to say it's pornopharhy is just ignorant.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

100% wrong. Opinion as we all know is what is suspected to occur but as far as the law is concerned, there is no truth to the idea that "we know what there's a chance a child may appear naked on the camera" as per being pornography. It's just not the way pornography works.

It is wrong to tape them,, but to say it's pornopharhy is just ignorant.

The "potential for" is all that's needed in these type cases. The school should have known better. Or at least had in the laptop release forms that the "webcam" can be activated if and only if, reported stolen.

[pfunk880]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

hmmmm turning off remote access only takes 10 seconds to do. I remember 2 years ago Gateway and Dell got in trouble for the same thing. At that time, I don't know if it still is now, but back then if you bought a Dell or Gateway laptop or computer remote access was on by default, which allowed Dell and Gateway to access your PC at anytime without consent.

They claim it was for tech support. However they had some freaky IT guys who would turn on the built in web cams on laptops of all female registered laptop owners spying on them. Since in case many of you don't know, a lot of women check email early in the morning or late at night right before bed or work with little to nothing on at all.

Or they would do web cam adult stuff shows for their husbands or boyfriends stationed over seas or away at a different college, etc. These IT guys were doing it for years and only got caught when one of the women husbands installed a firewalll and it kept detecting somebody trying to remote access the laptop everyday at the same time.

So I am telling you all now, turn off the remote access.

Riiiight...

I don't suppose you have a link, do you?

[jmood88]

Re: PA school accused on spying on students via laptop webcams

Seems that someone dug up some of the school's policies surrounding the webcam surveillance, and suffice it to say, the bullet points listed here are downright crazy. How crazy? How's about "possession of a monitored MacBook was required for classes, and possession of an unmonitored personal computer was forbidden and would be confiscated." Oh, and "disabling the camera was impossible."

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/23/pa-school-district-issued-order-to-refrain-from-webcam-spying-v/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fengadget+%28Engadget%29