In a recent class action lawsuit, the parents of a Pennsylvania high school student allege that school administrators monitored their son via the webcam installed on his school laptop. No parents or students were informed that each laptop had software installed that could activate the webcam remotely and take a picture of whatever was in front of the computer. The plaintiffs became aware of it when their son was approached by a school administrator who said that he was engaged in inappropriate behavior at home and used a photo taken by his webcam as proof.
Schools can't monitor children in their own home-- especially without their or their parents' knowledge and consent! Pictures could (and probably were) taken of students and their family members in compromising situations. I know that I've gotten undressed when my computer was in the room. Administrators allege that the software was only installed for help finding laptops after thefts. Really? Software that can activate a student's webcam remotely and send you the pictures, no matter how you paint it, sounds messed up. It's either a covert monitoring tool or a way to collect child pornography. You'd think people would think before using this software. I sincerely hope it was a rogue employee, otherwise I shudder at the state of the world. No matter someone's age, a person deserves privacy in their own home!
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