School spys on students

daywalker

Was browsing the net and came upon this creepy story:

A school in America had issued free laptops to its students but what they didn't tell them is that it had a feature where the school could activate the laptop remotely to capture the screen and also take pictures using the in-built web-cam. Following on from this they apparently disciplined a student for "Inappropriate behavior in the home" (take what you want from that as you will), and presented a web-cam photo captured from the alleged students laptop as evidence. :eek:

They claim the feature was only used where laptops were reported stolen and/or lost.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/strange/article_212285464.shtml

Agricola

Oh well. This will prepare students for life in modern workplace.

Dave!

Enter Run_to_da_hills........

.SONIC.

wow that is ****ed up!!!

could you sue the school for paedophilia??

AnonoBoy

How did they think they could use a photo taken of a child in his own home as evidence of wrongdoing and get away with it?

Jaysus, the kid was probably only dressed up as a Nazi as joke going on ChatRoulette. Or else w*nking.

Probably w*nking actually.

IvySlayer

Jaysus I'm paranoid now. I bought it myself but you never know someone could be watching :eek:

*applies duct tape*

The_Kew_Tour

I'd sue the arse of that school

Alessandra

I'm quite sure that's an invasion of privacy and would like to see the school answer questions in court.
Why are they bothered finding out what the kids get up to in their own homes? Surely it would be more beneficial to install extra cctv in the school instead?

Cianos

...or just let kids be kids

Riamfada

AnonoBoy wrote: »

dressed up as a Nazi,going on ChatRoulette AND w*nking.

Its great crack but requires some concentration to multitask

prinz

Alessandra wrote: »

Why are they bothered finding out what the kids get up to in their own homes on free school issue laptops?

FYP.

BaconZombie

\0/ Free Porn........

hobochris

If I was the student, I'd make sure the school is financially bitch slapped from every conceivable angle.

Wagon

prinz wrote: »

FYP.

No you didn't.

prinz

Wagon wrote: »

No you didn't.

According to the article the security system was only activated in cases of lost, stolen or missing laptops. It wasn't for finding out what kids are "getting up to in their own homes".

AnonoBoy

prinz wrote: »

According to the article the security system was only activated in cases of lost, stolen or missing laptops. It wasn't for finding out what kids are "getting up to in their own homes".

But that's what they used it for.

G_R

prinz wrote: »

According to the article the security system was only activated in cases of lost, stolen or missing laptops. It wasn't for finding out what kids are "getting up to in their own homes".

might have been intended for that but it wasn't used for i t

prinz

AnonoBoy wrote: »

But that's what they used it for.

dannym08 wrote: »

might have been intended for that but it wasn't used for i t

We don't know why it was activated in this case.

"This feature has only been used for the limited purpose of locating a lost, stolen or missing laptop. The District has not used the tracking feature or web cam for any other purpose or in any other manner whatsoever."

Wagon

prinz wrote: »

According to the article the security system was only activated in cases of lost, stolen or missing laptops. It wasn't for finding out what kids are "getting up to in their own homes".

They don't need a camera to do that, there's other ways to track stolen laptops. Like the IP address. Installing a camera in it is very illegal because it will go onto private property (ie. the users home). Unless they signed an agreement and had knowledge of the camera then the school are bollixed. Which is nice.

And as AnonoBoy pointed out, they didn't use it for security.

GLaDOS

prinz wrote: »

We don't know why it was activated in this case.

Doesn't matter why it was activated, they're using whatever they saw the kid do in privacy as a reason to punish him

prinz

Wagon wrote: »

And as AnonoBoy pointed out, they didn't use it for security.

Who says? According to the School District it was only used in the manner designed.

prinz

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Doesn't matter why it was activated, they're using whatever they saw the kid do in privacy as a reason to punish him

What if he was on a stolen laptop?

GLaDOS

prinz wrote: »

What if he was on a stolen laptop?

Then I'm sure they would have mentioned it in the article

and

The disturbing activity was acknowledged when student Blake J. Robbins was punished by the school for things that took place in his home. The school's vice-principal even provided a photo taken with the webcam as evidence.

Doesn't sound like anything to do with security

prinz

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Then I'm sure they would have mentioned it in the article

I am also sure they would have mentioned it if this guy was being monitored for the fun of it, that had nothing to do with the reason for the security measures at all. However it doesn't. It explicitly states that the District confirmed the system had only been activated for a reason as stated..

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Doesn't sound like anything to do with security

How so? Perhaps he had a stolen/someone else's laptop in his home?

Sea Sharp

So they can see teenage fellas looking at their laptops through the web-cam... What do most teenage males spend their time doing on the internet?

ceiling

Schools shouldn't have the ability to see that.

Riamfada

Perhaps he was just a really hot kid. Like who wouldnt want to have a secret camera on A.C Slater? He was probably getting frisky with his special girl Jessie.

GLaDOS

prinz wrote: »

I am also sure they would have mentioned it if this guy was being monitored for the fun of it, that had nothing to do with the reason for the security measures at all. However it doesn't. It explicitly states that the District confirmed the system had only been activated for a reason as stated..

The school stated that, in defence of itself

How so? Perhaps he had a stolen/someone else's laptop in his home?

Using a stolen laptop isn't "disturbing activity", it's stealing.

If he had committed a crime the police would have been involved. This is the same country that schools called the police for students building motion detectors and bringing large burritos to school, they're not slow to inform the authorities.

Minstrel27

prinz wrote: »

How so? Perhaps he had a stolen/someone else's laptop in his home?

He didn't. It was a laptop given to him by his school. The school then used an image taken by the laptop to punish the child for something he did in the privacy of his own home.

IvySlayer

Why would the school punish him for what he did at his own house

Shocking story. VP should sacked, jailed, sued.

prinz

ScienceNerd wrote: »

The school stated that, in defence of itself...

The school said no such thing. The School District said it. The School District's Security and Technology Dept. was also responsible for activating the measures, and presumably policing them.

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Using a stolen laptop isn't "disturbing activity", it's stealing....

Again facts of the case are not clear. Maybe he 'borrowed' a friend's laptop and was installing something, downloading porn as a prank etc. School finds out, school says return friend's laptop.. ok, no harm done there, all that's left is using school property inappropriately.

Minstrel27 wrote: »

He didn't. It was a laptop given to him by his school. The school then used an image taken by the laptop to punish the child for something he did in the privacy of his own home.

Nowhere in that article does it say this kid was on his own laptop.

kingtut

prinz wrote: »

FAP.

FYP.

stovelid

Blake J Robbins. What a name.

When he grows up, he's going to have silver hair and say goddammit a lot.

honeymonster

Bunch of pervs

plein de force

that school better get ready for the mother of all lawsuits

3hn2givr7mx1sc

That is bad form altogether.

Since when is it a punishable offence to have a wánk in the privacy of your own home?

daywalker

checking around for further articles found this

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/84877027.html

On Friday, the youth told TV crews that the photo showed him eating his favorite candy at home."They were trying to allege that when Blake was holding two Mike & Ikes in his hand . . . that somehow he was involved in selling drugs," the family's lawyer, Mark S. Haltzman, told TV reporters.

hitlersson666

baz2009 wrote: »

That is bad form altogether.

Since when is it a punishable offence to have a wánk in the privacy of your own home?

Sense schools said it

It's so very wrong though

deisemum

This is so wrong and the school deserves to be sued and those employed by the school that are involved should be sacked and not allowed work with children again.

It's common enough here for some teachers to "spy" on their pupils on sites such as bebo and Facebook.

brendansmith

daywalker wrote: »

Was browsing the net and came upon seeing this creepy story:

Durty

Overheal

Good News Everyone

It turns out the Family managed to wrestle the images from the school in question.

The kid was not suspended from school for **** - he was suspected on suspicion of drug trafficking Their evidence: images of him Eating Candy.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gdwlE3DpcMD9gNAnFMrQ7iNHCS6AD9E39EI80

PENN VALLEY, Pa. — The suburban Philadelphia teen who filed a webcam spying lawsuit against his school district says an administrator's denial of wrongdoing doesn't address his claims.

Harriton High School sophomore Blake Robbins insists an assistant vice principal did take advantage of a security program to monitor his activity at home. The administrator, Lindy Matsko, says she didn't monitor students or authorize others to do so.

But Robbins told reporters Wednesday that Matsko didn't deny confronting him about a picture the webcam took.

The lawsuit filed last week claims Matsko talked to Robbins about "improper behavior" at home, citing images from the school-issued laptop's camera.

Robbins says officials mistook candy for pills and thought he was selling drugs.

District officials have said they only remotely activated webcams to locate missing laptops.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

****ing Morons.

Mike 1972

deisemum wrote: »

It's common enough here for some teachers to "spy" on their pupils on sites such as bebo and Facebook.

NOT = spying

ejmaztec

Mike 1972 wrote: »

NOT = spying

Stalking?:eek:

Mike 1972

ejmaztec wrote: »

Stalking?:eek:

Possibly

Too much time on their hands at any rate

Ri_Nollaig

Whats with these schools in American America?
Every week seems to be another crazy story. I remember my teachers enjoyed the occasional power trip (some clearly got off on it) but they are taking the piss.

I remember another story of a 13 year old girl been escorted out of class by police for not saying the "Pledge of Allegiance" in class!

Overheal

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

Whats with these schools in American?
Every week seems to be another crazy story. I remember my teachers enjoyed the occasional power trip (some clearly got off on it) but they are taking the piss.

I remember another story of a 13 year old girl been escorted out of class by police for not saying the "Pledge of Allegiance" in class!

What about these schools in Irish, teaching people terrible grammar?

Ri_Nollaig

Overheal wrote: »

What about these schools in Irish, teaching people terrible grammar?

I guess its comments like this; explain how you have 20,000+ posts in 4 years.

Overheal

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

I guess its comments like this; explain how you have 20,000+ posts in 4 years.

Because Im an opinionated bastard with a 80wpm count

whats your excuse?

Crazy stories happen everywhere, we just like publishing ours. Mostly because even we cant comprehend some of the stupid **** [I guess you could say Our] teachers end up doing.

Helix

i wonder if he was looking for 50p at the time?

Ri_Nollaig

Overheal wrote: »

Because Im an opinionated bastard with a 80wpm count

whats your excuse?

Crazy stories happen everywhere, we just like publishing ours. Mostly because even we cant comprehend some of the stupid **** [I guess you could say Our] teachers end up doing.

I didn't know you were American so you obliviously took personal offensive to what I said, well none was meant.
I don't think anyone in Ireland (with a history of Christian Brothers, ironically the school I went too) could possibly stand with their heads held high complaining about another countries educational system.

I was just trying to point why they seemed so keen to get the police involved over what is really a petty matter.

Overheal

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

I didn't know you were American so you obliviously took personal offensive to what I said, well none was meant.
I don't think anyone in Ireland (with a history of Christian Brothers, ironically the school I went too) could possibly stand with their heads held high complaining about another countries educational system.

I was just trying to point why they seemed so keen to get the police involved over what is really a petty matter.

Well ****, you dont need to make it personal, going after something as mundane as a post count.

They would not be the operative word. This was all on the teacher, who is clearly a total toolbitch of some subculture of american society hellbent on petty issues like the Pledge. Plus, how many people suspect the unidentified girl-student is of middle eastern descent?

She's entitled to her wild eyed view but forcing it on a child and making a mockery of her - i hope she gets thrown in jail.

Ri_Nollaig

Overheal wrote: »

Well ****, you dont need to make it personal, going after something as mundane as a post count.

ahem...

Overheal wrote:

What about these schools in Irish, teaching people terrible grammar?

mundane you say??

Overheal wrote: »

They would not be the operative word. This was all on the teacher, who is clearly a total toolbitch of some subculture of american society hellbent on petty issues like the Pledge. Plus, how many people suspect the unidentified girl-student is of middle eastern descent?

She's entitled to her wild eyed view but forcing it on a child and making a mockery of her - i hope she gets thrown in jail.

I think its safe to assume when I said "they" I wasn't referring to EVERY teacher in America.