http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 5:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/big brother is always watching...]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
"engaged in improper behavior in his home"

who the fck is this bitch to tell someone that they were behaving improperly in there own fcking home?

if a teacher told me that i think i would go into a rage, especially after finding out that i was being watched without my consent, fcking knock the bitch the fck out.

Sorry, i don't usually post like this, but this is serious, this isn't just a matter of money compensation, jail time should be served here.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
what I meant was

♪ I always feel like, somebody's watching me... ♫ ]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
not only Macs have lights to show when the webcam is on]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/and i have no privacy?]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
u got it.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/They need more than just jail time.
Need to put the teacher in the ring with the kids father so he can beat the **** out of the teacher for violating his child's privacy.
Could throw the mother in there too, 2 vs 1 special.

Could sell tickets to the event and give the money to the school.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 7:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Lets hope that that's build into the webcam, so it's physically impossible to enable the sensor chip without lighting the LED. Otherwise someone might just be able to enable your webcam without lighting the LED...
Only for tracking your stolen equipment, ofcourse!]]>Feb 18th 2010 7:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
Here I was thinking people at my University with tape over their webcams were just paranoid. ]]>Feb 18th 2010 7:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
No, that's just the money you could have saved by using Geico]]>Feb 18th 2010 8:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
I think all laptops have the light feature, my dell has a bright blue one]]>Feb 18th 2010 8:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
I agree. Although, let's put everyone who had their laptop webcam go on fight the the principal all at once! :)]]>Feb 18th 2010 8:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
If someone demoted onto your PC, they could just re-enable it. ]]>Feb 18th 2010 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
If someone 'demoted' into my PC, I would be concerned.

This kind of crap is why I don't own a webcam. I don't want people to hack into it and see my fat ass walking around eating Cheetoz.]]>Feb 18th 2010 11:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 19th 2010 1:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Also even Feds, got themselves on sticky situation about arresting teens due to pornography. Sample: http://bit.ly/download-porn-case-too-harsh

I think the school, is just trying to make an alibis for their 'secret-nook' that has finally been revealed now..]]>Feb 19th 2010 3:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 19th 2010 4:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/I always angle to webcam away from me when not in use. I can't stand its tiny little red eye staring blankly at me all day, judging me.

Sometimes I would find myself trying to justify my actions to it, explaining that living creatures have certain instinctual desires, but it never showed even a flicker of understanding. It just stared at me with a look that said "god I wish I had eyelids". I turn its eye away from me now, for its sake rather than my own. I feel bad that it lost its optical virginity so young.]]>Feb 19th 2010 4:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
I think the more disturbing story here is that they decided to go with Macbooks for this laptop placement program. So much for budgets, huh?]]>Feb 19th 2010 8:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 19th 2010 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
Nailed it!]]>Feb 19th 2010 12:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 19th 2010 3:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
That might help with the visuals, but if they would activate the microphone ....]]>Feb 21st 2010 5:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/heck I hope some parent actually brings this up to the authorities. because checking that the kids aren't using the computers for limewire, torrents etc doesn't require turning on the camera]]>Feb 22nd 2010 12:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 5:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Kindly refrain from masturbation while commenting. Regards, Engadget.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
i dunno. i mean, how attractive is this boy? this thread is useless without pictures....

]]>Feb 18th 2010 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 11:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 5:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
This in no way affects me, but i am honestly tense with anger at the though of being told what i can do in my own home, and being watched?

WOW]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
I honestly hope they fucking clean house on this one. ]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
This is school property we're talking about here, and as such the users are subject to regular sweeps. While I don't agree with someone telling you what you can and can't do with your life, whatever it was that the student was doing had to have been done while using the school-owned laptop. If he was looking at porn or whatever, I can understand the action the school took completely. If he was smoking a cigarette (funny or otherwise) or whatever else that has nothing to do with the laptop, the school/administrators/district can all go sit on the largest phallus they can find and rotate.

It's the method I have the issue with; if they're going to go so far as to switch on the webcam, they could just as easily sniff internet traffic/search for possible malicious or illegal software on the hard drive/et cetera. The webcam, especially since it has a frigging light that turns on when the device is in use in this case, is a poor choice in snooping method.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
No, im sorry, if the school has not told students that the computers are being monitored and that they can access the webcams remotely, then they have no fcking business doing it.

And if he was smoking? are you fcking kidding me? How can you even remotely support something like this.

The school district has no god damn business doing this and telling students what they can or cannot do at home.

Aside from the class action suit, i don't see how jail time cannot be served here.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
ignore the smoking part, i read it wrongly in the rage of the moment.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/Feb 18th 2010 6:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
I'm with you all the way here, Bosco. Child porn charges all around. I'm actually really curious to know how this is going to shake out legally. The school is going to say "these are our computers, we can do what we want with them" and then some ACLU lawyers are going to [insert slang term for climax here] suing the everloving crap outta everyone and they'll have my moral support all the way.]]>Feb 18th 2010 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
Can you just imagine if it was a high school GIRL that had been spyed on? Especially by an opposite sex principle... he'd already be suspended. I smell some serious gender bias coming out during this "investigation."]]>Feb 19th 2010 12:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
I've got zero problem with them remotely checking out whats on the laptop's file system, monitoring web usage, etc since they own the laptop. But to use the webcam to look into the student's home is completely different. Spying on people and keeping track of you're own property are COMPLETELY different. You have no right to watch what I do in my home regardless. ]]>Feb 19th 2010 11:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/school-allegedly-uses-students-laptop-webcam-for-espionage-law/
Which is, essentially, EXACTLY what I was saying. I'm a sysadmin/intranet application developer by trade, before I got to my current company they had been having trouble with people torrenting porn/software all the time on the computers. That changed pretty quick. Then they started trying to bring in personal laptops to download whatever on the DSL line we have, only to find that MAC filters had been assigned and vlans defined. If you ain't on the guest list you have workgroup connectivity, but no internet.

What it boils down to is liability for the entity that owns whatever it is that you're using. Last I read, you can get dinged roughly $2000 per song that has been illegally obtained on any given machine. If that's a company owned piece of hardware, guess who is held responsible. Sure, the user gets fired but even a 10 song album ends up a $20,000 fine for the company.

I never said that it was acceptable for the school to use the camera, especially if it's not explicitly mentioned in the terms of use. Even then, it's odd that it would be the preferred method of snooping. It doesn't even serve any purpose aside from voyeurism.

If it's not your personal property, you shouldn't use it like it is. But then again, common sense isn't a very well stocked commodity with people these days it would seem. Like a bunch of other posters have said, just cover the thing up with a sticky note or something.]]>Feb 23rd 2010 6:02PM