WTF of the Week

[formercia]

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1728400/us-illegal-schools-spy-students-home

US says it is not illegal for schools to spy on students at home
Nothing to see here move on please
By Nick Farrell
Wed Aug 18 2010, 09:28

IT LOOKS LIKE PROSECUTORS are not going to get involved in the bizarre case of the school which switched on laptops to spy on students while they were in their own bedrooms.

US Attorney Zane David Memeger told USA Today, investigators had found no evidence of criminal intent by Lower Merion School District employees who activated tracking software that took thousands of webcam and screenshot images on school-provided laptops.

A student and his family sued the district in February, claiming officials invaded his privacy by activating the software and the civil case is ongoing.

The school has admitted that it captured 56,000 screen shots and webcam images mostly so it could find missing student laptops. But in the case of this student the school appears to have been using the laptops to investigate home drug use.

--snip--

:wtf:

[ixion]

1. riiiiight... nothing to see here...

:eyes:

[RC]

2. In other words no neked pictures of any of the kids turned up yet.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. I'm telling you, we have some serious problems with our US & State Attorney offices.

It's time to clean the departments out.

"But in the case of this student the school appears to have been using the laptops to investigate home drug use."

That proves intent.

[formercia]

7. Stay-behind moles

Junior packed Justice with a bunch of Pat Robertson clones.

[midnight]

4. I don't think we need to even debate why the school watched

students via 56,000 screen shots. After one screen shot fix the problem. But the school had another agenda, problem with organization, and monitoring illicit behavior on private property. Maybe if the administers of our schools would provide teachers with better resources to teach, instead of snitching and spying, schools could raise their test scores. I'm sure no child behind was the precursor to legalize any measure the school deemed necessary.

[Uncle Joe]

5. And the erosion of freedom and privacy continues here in the "Land of the Free."

This is just more slipping down that inevitable slope from the insane policy known as "The War on Drugs."

This is the kind of shit Orwell had nightmares about and for good reason, I imagine his books will be banned before long and sent to the dustbin along with the Bill of Rights.

Thanks for the thread, formercia.

[formercia]

6. My pleasure, though I hate to bring bad news.

I don't know what to say, it's so sickening. That's hard for me, not to have an opinion.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Such overwhelming invasion of privacy it DOES seem impossible

among civilized people....

The common bond you'd expect to hold society together appears to have broken at some point. Where, and when did the process become irrevocable?

Can't imagine WHY there hasn't been a roar from the parents of these trusting, unsuspecting young human beings. I hope it means they are quiet because they are planning an effective lashback the system will not forget. However, I doubt they can do anything about it.

What about privacy measure like being required to notify people when their PHONE CALLS are being recorded? Wouldn't this be just as serious in every sense?

If they have spied on these children via the webcams, wouldn't it also stand to reason they have programmed them, too, to monitor all the students' internet use?

[formercia]

9. It's trivial to install a back door program

to do anything the school administration pleases, when the school has control of the laptop. The question is if they did or not. Without a thorough forensic examination, we will never know.