PA School Defends Web-Cam Spying As Security Measure, Denies Misuse

tekgoblin writes "The Lower Merion School District of Pennsylvania was recently accused of privacy invasion. Now the school has released an official response to the allegations. According to the school, the security feature was installed in the laptops as an anti-theft device and was not intended to invade privacy. The software that was installed would take a photo of the person using the laptop after it was stolen to give to the authorities. Now this may be what it was intended for, but it seems that someone didn't get the memo." The district's claim that it "has not used the tracking feature or web cam for any other purpose or in any other manner whatsoever" doesn't square with the allegations which set off this whole storm. And if there was nothing wrong with it, why does the school say it won't start using the snooping feature again without "express written notification to all students and families"?

Comments

Automatic Consent to Monitoring

[stewbacca]

I would assume that if I were using a school computer that I waived any and all rights to privacy. Why don't people just assume that using any public computer is an automatic consent to monitoring?

Re:What really happened, my theory

[macs4all]

1. School gives laptop to student 2. Student reports laptop stolen, takes it home 3. School activates security feature, randomly catches student popping pills while doing homework 4. IT sends photo of student to principal to get laptop back 5. Idiot principal gives student "don't do drugs" talk instead 6. Student panics, tells parents the school is spying on everyone 7. Parents sue school 8. Media frenzy!

Have you even read one single bit of the facts in this situation?

Thought not.

Get the FUCK off Slashdot, FUCKTARD! With your IGNORANCE, you do NOTHING but LOWER the overall discussion.