Little Brother - School Authorities and Surveilance

[Malthus]

Schools remotely turn on webcams on school-issued laptops, spy on students off school property - or so lawsuit alleges, after a kid gets busted for "inappropriate behaviour" seen through remote webcam. Whoever thought this was a good idea? 

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html

I know exactly what a school would have seen if they spied on me like that when I was a teen - a whole lot of wanking. 

[grumbler]

Schools remotely turn on webcams on school-issued laptops, spy on students off school property - or so lawsuit alleges, after a kid gets busted for "inappropriate behaviour" seen through remote webcam. Whoever thought this was a good idea? 

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html

I know exactly what a school would have seen if they spied on me like that when I was a teen - a whole lot of wanking. 

I find this hard to believe.  Given that it is basically impossible for people to erase things from hard drives, and the slightest bit of "accidental" exposure to any of these students not fully clothed will be child pornography, how could these school officials have expected to stay out of prison (let alone continued an educational career after being registered as a sex offender)?

Somebody needs firing, stat, if this story is true.

[Agelastus]

Surely, given this is the USA, they would have consulted a lawyer before deciding they had the right to spy on their pupils outside of school? I can't believe a lawyer would have said this was a good idea.

[Razgovory]

Schools do lots of stupid things but this one is a bit hard to believe.  It's just to loopy.

[ulmont]

Surely, given this is the USA, they would have consulted a lawyer before deciding they had the right to spy on their pupils outside of school? I can't believe a lawyer would have said this was a good idea.

You would be surprised on both counts.  Lot of people do things without consulting lawyers, and incompetent lawyers abound.

[Malthus]

Schools remotely turn on webcams on school-issued laptops, spy on students off school property - or so lawsuit alleges, after a kid gets busted for "inappropriate behaviour" seen through remote webcam. Whoever thought this was a good idea? 

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html

I know exactly what a school would have seen if they spied on me like that when I was a teen - a whole lot of wanking. 

I find this hard to believe.  Given that it is basically impossible for people to erase things from hard drives, and the slightest bit of "accidental" exposure to any of these students not fully clothed will be child pornography, how could these school officials have expected to stay out of prison (let alone continued an educational career after being registered as a sex offender)?

Somebody needs firing, stat, if this story is true.

So far, only allegations in a statement of claim.

[Caliga]

Go Philly! 

[garbon]

Lot of people do things without consulting lawyers.

Just this morning I had a telephone conversation and took a shower without consulting a lawyer.

[ulmont]

Lot of people do things without consulting lawyers.

Just this morning I had a telephone conversation and took a shower without consulting a lawyer.

And someday, that will come back to haunt you. 

[Martinus]

Schools remotely turn on webcams on school-issued laptops, spy on students off school property - or so lawsuit alleges, after a kid gets busted for "inappropriate behaviour" seen through remote webcam. Whoever thought this was a good idea? 

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html

I know exactly what a school would have seen if they spied on me like that when I was a teen - a whole lot of wanking. 

I find this hard to believe.  Given that it is basically impossible for people to erase things from hard drives, and the slightest bit of "accidental" exposure to any of these students not fully clothed will be child pornography, how could these school officials have expected to stay out of prison (let alone continued an educational career after being registered as a sex offender)?

Somebody needs firing, stat, if this story is true.

I find it funny how the increasingly restrictive draconian laws on sex offenses have created a perfect self-referential loop. Just get a hormone-ridden teen with a webcome, give him or her enough time, and you can arrest people by the droves (including the teen for "publishing child pornography").

There is something ironic about children of the sexual revolution putting their own children in jail for playing doctor with each other. 

[garbon]

And someday, that will come back to haunt you. 

It is true, my mother will likely sue me soon.

[dps]

Schools remotely turn on webcams on school-issued laptops, spy on students off school property - or so lawsuit alleges, after a kid gets busted for "inappropriate behaviour" seen through remote webcam. Whoever thought this was a good idea? 

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html

I know exactly what a school would have seen if they spied on me like that when I was a teen - a whole lot of wanking. 

I find this hard to believe.  Given that it is basically impossible for people to erase things from hard drives, and the slightest bit of "accidental" exposure to any of these students not fully clothed will be child pornography, how could these school officials have expected to stay out of prison (let alone continued an educational career after being registered as a sex offender)?

Somebody needs firing, stat, if this story is true.

I find it funny how the increasingly restrictive draconian laws on sex offenses have created a perfect self-referential loop. Just get a hormone-ridden teen with a webcome, give him or her enough time, and you can arrest people by the droves (including the teen for "publishing child pornography").

Prosecuting a teenager for child pornagraphy for putting racy pictures of himself or herself on the net is stupid in the first place, but it's not going to happen here.  You can't successfully prosecute someone for something done without their knowledge or consent. 

That assumes that the family's claims are accurate.

[Ed Anger]

I wish Cory Doctrow at Boing Boing would fall into a ravine.

[DontSayBanana]

Possible?  Definitely; any integrated webcam can be remotely activated- that fact often leaves me scratching my head when people whine about laptops not having an integrated webcam.

[DisturbedPervert]

I wouldn't buy a laptop that didn't have an integrated webcam.  For myself at least