5 Votes
Laptop Monitoring by Pennsylvania
So in recent times, the Lower Merion School District or Pennsylvania issued Apple laptops to its high school students. What nobody knew, was the laptops came installed with software for remotely (and covertly) enabling the built-in webcams for monitoring student behavior. The matter came to light when the vice principal disciplined one student using a photo from the webcam showing activity at from their residence. Naturally this stirred all sorts of privacy controversy which led to the superintendent issuing a response stating the technology was intended to be used for recovering stolen school property in the event of a loss. Everything is winding into a class action lawsuit with both sides vigorously defending their positions. In the meantime, a federal judge has ordered the school to cease and desist all use of the remote monitoring software until a decision is made while the FBI conducts its investigation.
Similarly tagged OmniNerd content:
- Registration of 3D Printers, by VnutZ 8 days ago
- Law Enforcement or Military Enforcement, by VnutZ almost 3 years ago
- Virginia's Three Year Old Immigration Law, by VnutZ almost 3 years ago
- Crime of Impersonating a Soldier and Falsely Claiming Medals, by VnutZ over 3 years ago
Print Friendly
Write an Article
Interesting angle by Occams
While it is illegal to covertly monitor another person by microphone, it is not illegal in the USA if you are part of the conversation yourself. In this case it could be argued that they were recording themselves, but I doubt that the school would get away with that sisnce they did not know that they were recording themselves.
Wow. by Jackson
What nobody knew, was the laptops came installed with software for remotely (and covertly) enabling the built-in webcams for monitoring student behavior
If it had come with a detailed explanation of the webcam software, how it works and what it could/would be used for, with the option for students to opt-out of receiving one, that would be one thing.
But to not tell them it was there and then go so far as to use evidence gathered that way is:
I understand that it was there as an anti-theft device, but the fact that they didn’t tell the students (or their families) and that they clearly weren’t just using it for recovery of stolen laptops (a photo from the students residence?) is bad news.
On another note, how does everyone here feel about school issued laptops? Necessary, good but not absolutely necessary or a waste of money? I remember being kind of surprised when my brother-in-law, then in the 7th grade, was issued a school laptop. Other than a word processor for writing papers, is there a need? Are libraries obsolete or is the inability to travel to places to do research (like I had to) so rampant that this step is now necessary?
Outrageous by scottb
I get it that some people seem to care much more about an orderly society than a free one, and I get it that schools are only rarely even remotely interested in social norms like due process, but this is obscene.
This isn’t even close to a “gray” area. The school district knew it had this capability and didn’t disclose it to the parents. Even if they only included it as an anti-theft measure, as they claim, somebody still used it to spy on a kid.
Some heads definitely deserve to roll over this.
most famous for by Anonymous
Lower Merion is actually most famous for producing Kobe Bryant…..it’s no wonder they want back in the news…..it’s been almost 15 years since their hey day
Worst Case Scenario by Anonymous
Imagine a pedophile in a school district (Wait, you mean they let them work there?) with sufficient access to these systems turning on the camera on a young female watching her prepare for bed…
THAT to me is even scarier.