[karajorma]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8523807.stm

Parents in the US have accused a school of spying on children by remotely activating webcams on laptops.

A couple from Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit against a school district which gave laptops to its high school pupils.

They say their son was told off by teachers for "engaging in improper behaviour in his home" and that the evidence was an image from his webcam.

Let me get this straight. You give all the children in your school laptops containing software that will periodically take pictures of whatever is going on in front of the laptop and don't bother to tell anyone that this is the case?

In their lawsuit, they claim the webcams were activated remotely and images were taken which could have included anything going on in a room where the laptop was placed.

The legal papers say: "As the laptops were routinely used by students and family members at home, it is believed that many of the images captured and intercepted may consist of images of minors and their parents or friends in compromising or embarrassing positions, including in various stages of dress or undress".

Sounds like someone's ****ing lucky not to be ending up on the sex offenders register.

[Galemp]

That's pretty damning... if it's true. I hope the parents can back up their claim.

Actually, no, I hope they don't. I don't like the idea of anyone seeing what's through my camera unless I will it to be so.

[Aardwolf]

That's pretty damning... if it's true. I hope the parents can back up their claim.

Actually, no, I hope they don't. I don't like the idea of anyone seeing what's through my camera unless I will it to be so.

Hope they can if it's true, but hope that it's false so they won't need to.

[Dilmah G]

What.
The ****.

[Dark Hunter]

...told off by teachers for "engaging in improper behaviour in his home"...

This is the part that gets me. What the student does in his own home is none of the school's business. Period.

[Rhymes]

There are times when I think the world has seen the worst of human stupidity...

And then I read something like this.   

[NGTM-1R]

This is the part that gets me. What the student does in his own home is none of the school's business. Period.

Hey, they suspend for Facebook postings if you let them.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Never trusted webcams and never will.  Don't have one but when I work on a laptop with one the first thing I do is stick a piece or electrical tape over it.  Most have viruses to begin with and we all know that there are trojans out there that give access to webcams.

Then again I'm an old timer that thinks using a mic for online gaming is taboo........

[FUBAR-BDHR]

This is the part that gets me. What the student does in his own home is none of the school's business. Period.

Hey, they suspend for Facebook postings if you let them.

One of the higher courts just ruled against that a couple of days ago.  Case took a couple of years but they are letting the suit against the school go through under free speech since it did not occur on school property. 

[Dilmah G]

This is the part that gets me. What the student does in his own home is none of the school's business. Period.

Hey, they suspend for Facebook postings if you let them.

Mmm, kids at my school have been suspended/detained for being at a fight between two guys from another school, which took place on an oval about 1-1.5 hours from where the school is. Said it gave the school a bad rep.

[Colonol Dekker]

@ first post.
 
This is akin to someone just indiscriminately walking up to a kids bedroom and taking photos at random. How the hell can this be allowed? It's just mind boggling.
 
If teachers or anybody at all just walked up to a kids window and snapped away there would be uproar. I'm in complete shock and feel justifiably angry on the parents behalf.

[blackhole]

This violates so many privacy laws its not even funny.

[Dark RevenantX]

Big Brother is watching you.

[Colonol Dekker]

Not anymore. I just clocked the story on sky news.
 
 
Sticky tape ftw ingenious.

[IronBeer]

/facepalm. Only in America.... and I say that as an American. 

[headdie]

/facepalm. Only in America.... and I say that as an American. 

dont worry some one will try it here in the UK in a few years so we can laugh again.  Problem is it wont be funny because it will all be revealed by someone hacking the system

[Bobboau]

/facepalm. Only in America.... and I say that as an American. 

as mentioned also in the UK, they recently gave there cops armed surveillance drones.

[JMN]

Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes

[castor]

/facepalm. Only in America.... and I say that as an American. 

I wish it was that simple
But I think it is just another example of the human nature in general: If something is possible, it is just the question of time until someone tries it. Trusting "humanity" in this sort of thing never works. If you want to avoid it, the means to do so must be built in to the system.

[Nemesis6]

The school can still cover their own ass - Just claim they were freedom-haters, that'll open up a nice, giant loophole around all those pesky things like privacy and moral decency!

'Merica must be kept safe.