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Attention High School students: Big Brother is watching you.  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
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Made in us
Incorporating Wet-Blending






Glendale, AZ

From this site: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9158818/Pennsylvania_schools_spying_on_students_using_laptop_Webcams_claims_lawsuit?taxonomyId=146

Computerworld.com wrote:
Computerworld - 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.

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."

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.

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.

The Robbins claimed that the district did not tell them beforehand that their son's laptop Webcam could be activated remotely, and added that there was no mention of the functionality in any of the documentation they received or on the district's Web site.

And the privacy of non-students has been violated, the Robbins said. "By virtue of the fact that the Webcam can be remotely activated at any time by the School District, the Webcam will capture anything happening in the room in which the laptop computer is located, regardless of whether the student is sitting at the computer and using it," the lawsuit charged.

The suit accuses the school district of violating the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), and other federal and state statues, including the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act.

Mark Haltzman of the law firm Lamm Rubenstone, and the Robbins' attorney, did not return a call for comment. A spokesman for the Lower Merion School District said early Thursday that the district had only found out about the suit hours before, and so was not able to immediately comment on the case.

If the lawsuit is granted class-action status, other students in the district and their families would be able to join the action.

The Robbins family has asked for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and demanded that the court issue an injunction barring the district from activating students' laptop cameras.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2010/02/19 01:54:12


Mannahnin wrote:A lot of folks online (and in emails in other parts of life) use pretty mangled English. The idea is that it takes extra effort and time to write properly, and they’d rather save the time. If you can still be understood, what’s the harm? While most of the time a sloppy post CAN be understood, the use of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling is generally seen as respectable and desirable on most forums. It demonstrates an effort made to be understood, and to make your post an easy and pleasant read. By making this effort, you can often elicit more positive responses from the community, and instantly mark yourself as someone worth talking to.
insaniak wrote: Every time someone threatens violence over the internet as a result of someone's hypothetical actions at the gaming table, the earth shakes infinitisemally in its orbit as millions of eyeballs behind millions of monitors all roll simultaneously.


 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut




Wow. Big brother REALLY is everywhere.

--The whole concept of government granted and government regulated 'permits' and the accompanying government mandate for government approved firearms 'training' prior to being blessed by government with the privilege to carry arms in a government approved and regulated manner, flies directly in the face of the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”


 
   
Made in us
Da Head Honcho Boss Grot





Minnesota

Great. Now I have another reason to put a piece of electrical tape over my laptop's webcam. Not only might the computer become sentient and fall in unreciprocated love with me, but I've got this to worry about too.

Anuvver fing - when they do sumfing, they try to make it look like somfink else to confuse everybody. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know, so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it.
 
   
Made in us
Moustache-twirling Princeps





About to eat your Avatar...

"GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS, CITIZEN."





 
   
Made in us
Combat Jumping Rasyat






What I find funny is how the school official willingly revealed that the laptop was taking pictures completely oblivious of the gak storm it would stir up.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2010/02/19 02:07:40


 
   
Made in us
Moustache-twirling Princeps





About to eat your Avatar...

That is funny, but hardly surprising.



 
   
Made in us
Da Head Honcho Boss Grot





Minnesota

They had to stop the "improper behavior"!

Anuvver fing - when they do sumfing, they try to make it look like somfink else to confuse everybody. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know, so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it.
 
   
Made in us
Moustache-twirling Princeps





About to eat your Avatar...

Put that goddam thing away kid! The authorities are freaking watching you.


 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

So wait, did they like catch the kid beating his meat or something?

If so...it kinda makes sense that the school would say something about it. They loan out the laptops so that students(who otherwise might not have access to a computer at home to do specific assignments) can do work.

Not watch porn or play games.
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





Chicago, Illinois

Lol.
That would suck like hell.
Omg they are evolving. D--n the Media and its disrespecting of our culture!

From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war. 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Is it so hard to type an understandable response--without devolving into instant messaging text?
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





Chicago, Illinois

Well unfournately yes.

From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war. 
   
Made in us
Da Head Honcho Boss Grot





Minnesota

lol y you mad bro???

Anuvver fing - when they do sumfing, they try to make it look like somfink else to confuse everybody. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know, so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it.
 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





Chicago, Illinois

Which one : D.
But i have to say that this is disturbing. The police station is watching you lol.

From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war. 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

It's not a police station.

It's the the middle school loaning out the laptops.

And you'll also notice in the link he provided, that they shut down the feature after this incident happened--even if the original reason for it(to track down lost/stolen laptops) was a really good one.
   
Made in us
RogueSangre






Holy fething gak. There had better be a lot of people going to jail for this.

Not only is this completely in violation of the right to privacy, not even telling the end-user about the capabillity is just grade A douchebaggery.

Further more, if the school did observe a student beating his meat or whatever, that's child porn right there, which makes them child rapists, which are right up there on top of the list of people that need to get karate-chopped in the 'nads.

Backslash nerdrage.

(I spelled it 'cause I'm extra angry.)

   
Made in us
Da Head Honcho Boss Grot





Minnesota

I would laugh so hard if they got child porn charges.

Anuvver fing - when they do sumfing, they try to make it look like somfink else to confuse everybody. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know, so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it.
 
   
Made in us
Moustache-twirling Princeps





About to eat your Avatar...

Call it reverse psychology, but this thread needs to be lightened up a bit.




 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Orkeosaurus wrote:I would laugh so hard if they got child porn charges.

So would I, because it would be so completely idiotic for those charges to stick.
   
Made in us
Da Head Honcho Boss Grot





Minnesota

Depends on how many pictures they took.

Anuvver fing - when they do sumfing, they try to make it look like somfink else to confuse everybody. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know, so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it.
 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Not even that, the prosecution would have to prove intent to distribute the photographs or purposely doing it for sexual gratification.

At least, as far as I understand the letter of the child pornography laws.
   
Made in us
Da Head Honcho Boss Grot





Minnesota

I thought it was strict liability.

Anuvver fing - when they do sumfing, they try to make it look like somfink else to confuse everybody. When one of them wants to lord it over the uvvers, 'e says "I'm very speshul so'z you gotta worship me", or "I know summink wot you lot don't know, so yer better lissen good". Da funny fing is, arf of 'em believe it and da over arf don't, so 'e 'as to hit 'em all anyway or run fer it.
 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut




Yeah...the most they could get it for would be invasion of privacy.

The court has to prove sexual gratification and or intent to distribute.

--The whole concept of government granted and government regulated 'permits' and the accompanying government mandate for government approved firearms 'training' prior to being blessed by government with the privilege to carry arms in a government approved and regulated manner, flies directly in the face of the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”


 
   
Made in us
Steady Space Marine Vet Sergeant







Orkeosaurus wrote:Great. Now I have another reason to put a piece of electrical tape over my laptop's webcam. Not only might the computer become sentient and fall in unreciprocated love with me, but I've got this to worry about too.

Dont forget to put blue tape on the usb port incase the ghosts might come out.
But seriously mon. Why in the world world they care what students do on there comopurters. they should know if they give a teenage boy a laptop 50ut of 100 there will be porn on it.

-to many points to bother to count.
mattyrm wrote:i like the idea of a woman with a lobster claw for a hand touching my nuts. :-)
 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

garret wrote:
Orkeosaurus wrote:Great. Now I have another reason to put a piece of electrical tape over my laptop's webcam. Not only might the computer become sentient and fall in unreciprocated love with me, but I've got this to worry about too.

Dont forget to put blue tape on the usb port incase the ghosts might come out.
But seriously mon. Why in the world world they care what students do on there comopurters. they should know if they give a teenage boy a laptop 50ut of 100 there will be porn on it.


Because the explicit use of the laptops is for educational purposes only.

Masturbating to brunette on brunette action isn't educational.
   
Made in us
RogueSangre






@Kanluwen:

I beg to differ. Anatomy, and women's issues/the feminist movement.

   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

More like the "feminist movement".

Amirite?

Anyways--
Yeah. If the school gets child pornography charges pressed against them--expect this whole "One to One" program that they've been trying to do nationwide to collapse.
   
Made in us
Steady Space Marine Vet Sergeant







I cant wait to mention this news at school. This will be hilirious. cause i think some of the people in class use labtops at school.

-to many points to bother to count.
mattyrm wrote:i like the idea of a woman with a lobster claw for a hand touching my nuts. :-)
 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

And if they're using them for porn, they're idiots anyways.

They'd, I assume, use keylogging software to monitor where you go.
   
Made in us
Steady Space Marine Vet Sergeant







I wouldnt think so. If so then they wouldnt use the webcams. If they used keylogging they could get a password into like someones email.

-to many points to bother to count.
mattyrm wrote:i like the idea of a woman with a lobster claw for a hand touching my nuts. :-)
 
   
 
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