[LINK] More on the laptop webcams

[Jan Whitaker]

>Good Morning Silicon Valley
>
>Q U O T E D
>
>"Plaintiffs and Class members were never informed that the webcam 
>incorporated into the students' personal laptop computer could be 
>remotely activated ... at the whim of the School District, and that 
>such activation would naturally capture images of anything in front 
>of the webcam at the time of its activation. In as much as the 
>personal laptop computers were used by students of the high schools 
>and their families, it is believed and therefore averred that the 
>School District has the ability to and has captured images of 
>Plaintiffs and Class members without their permission and 
>authorization that many of the images ... may consist of images of 
>minors and their parents or friends in compromising or embarrassing 
>positions, including, but not limited to, in various stages of dress 
>or undress."
>
>(<http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/tbvwhvpgmmwkcrzjkbfczkdgsdkwtfsctbvfrtvjwcccjl_dspcmhmddpmm.html>
> From a lawsuit filed against the Lower Merion (Pa.) School District 
> on behalf of a student who was accused by an assistant principal of 
> engaging in "improper behavior" at home, as evidenced by a photo 
> taken by the webcam in his school-issued laptop.)
>
>"The District is dedicated to protecting and promoting student 
>privacy. The laptops do contain a security feature intended to track 
>lost, stolen and missing laptops. This feature has been deactivated 
>effective today. ... Upon a report of a suspected lost, stolen or 
>missing laptop, the feature was activated by the District's security 
>and technology departments. The tracking-security feature was 
>limited to taking a still image of the operator and the operator's 
>screen. 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."
>
>(<http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/yfqmqkvzbbmngtlcnfrglnpzypnmwrygwfkrtwkcmgggcq_dspcmhmddpmm.html>Dr. 
>Christopher McGinley, the district's superintendent, responds.)


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

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~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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