[jonKranked]

from ars tech:

Robbins' father Michael supposedly confirmed with Matsko (assistant principal) that the school has the ability to remotely activate the webcam "at any time it chose to view and capture whatever images were in front of the webcam."

this tidbit is also in the filing

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/school-under-fire-for-spying-on-kid-via-webcam-at-home.ars

 

[jonKranked]

and just for clarification, the technology DOES exist:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2008/08/high-tech-peeping-tom-rigged-laptop-webcam-to-snap-nude-pics.ars

 

[SkaredShtles]

Duct tape over the web cam?

WTF is wrong with kids these days?

 

[X3pilot]

C'mon. You really buy that if you are given a 'puter with a remote cam, the people who issued it can spy on you at home?

Having spent plenty of time hidden away in the machine room, I know some crazy ideas get hatched, but people are going to lose their jobs, at the least.

No, I don't think they should, butttttttt....if you sign papers stating you agree to a terms of use and you did or didn't bother to read it, and you get caught doing something, you can't exactly cry foul. Now, that is a wildly speculative statement I made, I think we really need to see all the facts.

But like SS said, yeah you stupid teen fvcksticks, put tape over the camera

 

[Silver]

Interesting:

http://lmsd.org/sections/news/default.php?m=0&t=today&p=lmsd_anno&id=1137

Reading between the lines here, does it seem to anyone else that perhaps the laptop was reported stolen to the school? I want to keep a bit of an eye on this one now...

 

[jonKranked]

Interesting:

http://lmsd.org/sections/news/default.php?m=0&t=today&p=lmsd_anno&id=1137

Reading between the lines here, does it seem to anyone else that perhaps the laptop was reported stolen to the school? I want to keep a bit of an eye on this one now...

just because a machine is reported lost/stolen does not mean that it actually is. This leaves things wide open for pranks and abuse.

Note that they are only responding to the allegations of remote activated webcams, not the lawsuit itself.

 

[jasride]

Interesting:

http://lmsd.org/sections/news/default.php?m=0&t=today&p=lmsd_anno&id=1137

Reading between the lines here, does it seem to anyone else that perhaps the laptop was reported stolen to the school? I want to keep a bit of an eye on this one now...

Good point. Also, I wounder if these students knew of the remote tracking-security feature? And whats the educational purpose for an installed webcam anyway?

 

[jonKranked]

Good point. Also, I wounder if these students knew of the remote tracking-security feature? And whats the educational purpose for an installed webcam anyway?

They were Apple macbooks. Its a standard component.


And also, I suspect that the remote tracking feature was kept secret for fear that it would be abused. These are high school kids after all.

 

[jasride]

just because a machine is reported lost/stolen does not mean that it actually is. This leaves things wide open for pranks and abuse.

yes indeed!

Like everyday we know little Billy takes a bong hit at 4:20 in front of his laptop, so at 4:19 we'll call in and report laptop id # 332543 stolen.

 

[jasride]

And also, I suspect that the remote tracking feature was kept secret for fear that it would be abused. These are high school kids after all.

this makes sense.

 

[jonKranked]

some updates:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/school-backs-off-on-laptop-spying-policy-in-lieu-of-lawsuit.ars

edit: when activated, the remote tracking feature would take a webcam shot and a screen shot.

something else, in the comments of one of the articles, someone came forward claiming to be a former student of the district, and indicated that the green light (which indicates a screen shot on a macbook), would "turn on often enough to cause suspicion".

 

[jasride]

some updates:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/school-backs-off-on-laptop-spying-policy-in-lieu-of-lawsuit.ars


something else, in the comments of one of the articles, someone came forward claiming to be a former student of the district, and indicated that the green light (which indicates a screen shot on a macbook), would "turn on often enough to cause suspicion".

Ahhhht, there's Principal Fondlenutz playing with the cam button again, Quick, show him the starfish.

 

[dante]

More updates:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100220/ap_on_hi_te/us_laptops_spying_on_students

The Lower Merion School District, in response to a suit filed by a student, has acknowledged that webcams were remotely activated 42 times in the past 14 months, but only to find missing, lost or stolen laptops — which the district noted would include "a loaner computer that, against regulations, might be taken off campus."

The district's Web site said 42 activations of the system resulted in the recovery of 18 computers, not 28 as district spokesman Doug Young had said earlier. They reiterated that it was done only to locate lost, stolen or missing laptops.

So, my guess is that student A took computer home without permission, school confronts him on it with a picture of him USING the computer, he gets pissy and sues the school district. Remember, this all came about because the school caught him doing something, and gave him photo proof. If you're not supposed to have this computer, and they have a picture of you using it, well, BUSTED.

 

[Silver]

More updates:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100220/ap_on_hi_te/us_laptops_spying_on_students





So, my guess is that student A took computer home without permission, school confronts him on it with a picture of him USING the computer, he gets pissy and sues the school district. Remember, this all came about because the school caught him doing something, and gave him photo proof. If you're not supposed to have this computer, and they have a picture of you using it, well, BUSTED.

There is the chance that they are both wrong.

If that's the case, parts of the lawsuit should succeed (and it's looking to me now that the lawsuit is not without merit) and the student should be charged and prosecuted with theft.

 

[jonKranked]

More updates:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100220/ap_on_hi_te/us_laptops_spying_on_students





So, my guess is that student A took computer home without permission, school confronts him on it with a picture of him USING the computer, he gets pissy and sues the school district. Remember, this all came about because the school caught him doing something, and gave him photo proof. If you're not supposed to have this computer, and they have a picture of you using it, well, BUSTED.

the district is fvcked any which way you slice it because this remote activation/monitoring capability was not disclosed in any way shape or form.

 

[jonKranked]

another update: Serious Business. The FBI has launched an investigation.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/20/spying-school-district-update-turned-on-webcams-42-times-fbi-i/

 

[IH8Rice]

another update: Serious Business. The FBI has launched an investigation.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/20/spying-school-district-update-turned-on-webcams-42-times-fbi-i/

i was going to post that before i saw it on Engadget, but i figured it was posted here already

 

[jonKranked]

i was going to post that before i saw it on Engadget, but i figured it was posted here already

do you have a link to a better source?

 

[X3pilot]

do you have a link to a better source?

link

.....

The FBI is investigating whether the district broke federal wiretap and computer use laws.

The American Civil Liberties Union weighed in on the matter today by submitting a "friend-of-the-court" brief in support of the student who filed the lawsuit against the school district.

 

[Silver]

link

.....

Sweet...imma changing my tune now.

Check out this link from the same site though:

http://www.wfmz.com/health/22631902/detail.html

 

[jonKranked]

link

.....

sweet thanks!

 

[rockofullr]

Who the hell thought this was a good idea?

School teachers can be so dumb.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Who the hell thought this was a good idea?

School teachers can be so dumb.

I hang out with a bunch of school teachers.... if that tells ya anything about how dumb they can be.

 

[Silver]

Who the hell thought this was a good idea?

School teachers can be so dumb.

This was administrators and IT guys though, wasn't it?

 

[Pesqueeb]

The FBI is investigating whether the district broke federal wiretap and computer use laws.

So they have the time and energy to go after this school district for spying on a couple kids but not the Bush Administration for spying on everyone?
Don't get me wrong, if this was my daughters school I'd be going full on Epic Beard Man on some school administrators.

 

[jonKranked]

So they have the time and energy to go after this school district for spying on a couple kids but not the Bush Administration for spying on everyone?

They haven't gone after them for war crimes either...

 

[Silver]

They haven't gone after them for war crimes either...

What president is going to? No sense doing that when you're guilty of the same damn thing..

 

[X3pilot]

Did I miss the post? Did anyone mention what the inappropriate behavior was?

Eating Mike and Ikes. School thought they were pills.

 

[jonKranked]

Did I miss the post? Did anyone mention what the inappropriate behavior was?

Eating Mike and Ikes. School thought they were pills.

because this sums up high schoolers and pills:

 

[IH8Rice]

Did I miss the post? Did anyone mention what the inappropriate behavior was?

does it really matter? short of murder and or rape, its still fvcked

 

[Silver]

Did I miss the post? Did anyone mention what the inappropriate behavior was?

Eating Mike and Ikes. School thought they were pills.

I'm starting to really doubt the 42 times claim by the school.

If this is true, someone's heading to federal pound me in the ass prison. An IT dork and a few school administrators...that'll be ugly.

 

[X3pilot]

does it really matter? short of murder and or rape, its still fvcked

Yeah, just odd that eating candy leads to this. Counseling a student on this before knowing it was candy shows the pattern of bad judgement that leads to using the webcams to "spy".

If they were so worried about lost or stolen computers, why not put the LoJack on the laptops?

 

[X3pilot]

I'm starting to really doubt the 42 times claim by the school.

If this is true, someone's heading to federal pound me in the ass prison. An IT dork and a few school administrators...that'll be ugly.

Yeah, I think you're right. This is starting to sound more like someone sitting around hoping to get lucky with a girl leaving her laptop open while she changes clothes.

 

[jonKranked]

more updates:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/fbi-grand-jury-now-probing-high-school-webcam-spying.ars

in addition to the FBI probing them for violating wiretap laws, a federal grand jury has also subpoenaed the school for records related to the so-called "security" measures implemented on the laptops.

Also:

As of Monday morning, the school's lawyers are being called to court so a judge can decide whether to bar the school from removing data from any of the 2,300 laptops.

This is officially quite a boondoggle.

 

[jasride]

However, it's clear that LMSD knows where it ran afoul: by not letting parents know about the feature when having them sign the paperwork for the computers. "There was no specific notification given that described the security feature," Young told the Inquirer. "That notice should have been given, and we regret not giving it. That... was a significant mistake."

so this is going to be their defence? If they would have just let the parents know ahead of time? That still doesn't stop the ol' history teacher Mr. Clefnich from looking at Sally changing her panties. I mean, I'd hate to be a teacher with that kind of power.

 

[jonKranked]

so this is going to be there defence? If they would have just let the parents know ahead of time? That still doesn't stop the ol' history teacher Mr. Clefnich from looking at Sally changing her panties. I mean, I'd hate to be a teacher with that kind of power.

uh what? The only people who had the capability to activate the remote tracking were the 2 people in the IT department.

 

[jasride]

uh what? The only people who had the capability to activate the remote tracking were the 2 people in the IT department.

ahh, my fault. But still, those two guys would seem to have the right to photo anything as long as that letter went out to the parents. The IT guys could just as easily be pervs too.

I just mean that the school is now saying they should have sent a letter out to parents and all of this might not be an issue right now BUT just because that letter goes out, doesn't mean a students privacy can not be breached.

Maybe in this simple case of misunderstanding a lawsuit could have been avoided had the parents know of this ahead of time but the security cam could still be used illegally.

 

[jonKranked]

I just mean that the school is now saying they should have sent a letter out to parents and all of this might not be an issue right now BUT just because that letter goes out, doesn't mean a students privacy can not be breached.

Actually, its kind of a fine line in this scenario. It wouldn't have just been a letter casually saying "oh we can do this". It would have most likely been written in to the agreement terms that students/parents would had to have to sign when agreeing to use school equipment (kind of like a EULA). Either you agree to submit to the remote tracking security feature, or you don't get to use the machine.

 

[jonKranked]

updates:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/spying-school-agrees-to-preserve-evidence-in-laptopgate.ars

School district has agreed not to destroy/delete any images captured by the webcams. Part of me thinks that this could put them in hotter water, especially if there are images of students dressing/undressing.

 

[sanjuro]

Actually, its kind of a fine line in this scenario. It wouldn't have just been a letter casually saying "oh we can do this". It would have most likely been written in to the agreement terms that students/parents would had to have to sign when agreeing to use school equipment (kind of like a EULA). Either you agree to submit to the remote tracking security feature, or you don't get to use the machine.

This is like the guy who tried to "wiretap" Mary Landrieu's office.

He wasn't trying to do that. He just wanted to ask some stupid questions to unsuspecting staffers, but with surreptitious cameras and phone company outfits, it looks on the surface like wiretapping.

I doubt there was a master scheme to videotape coeds, but there is a vidcam and a rarely used remote activation program. Mix it with one unhappy student with legal access...