Lower Merion, PA school district cleared of Federal spying charges, approves new privacy policies
Though a now-infamous Pennsylvania school district admitted to taking thousands of pictures of schoolchildren without their consent, federal investigators have decided not to pursue criminal charges. That doesn't halt a class-action complaint against the district (which charges invasion of privacy and wiretapping) but a US attorney told reporters that FBI and police investigators hadn't found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that school employees had criminal intent to spy on students using their school-issued laptops.
On a related note, students returning to Lower Merion for a new school year can set their minds at ease, as the school board just approved a new set of laptop regulations that (among other things) ban remote monitoring of microphones and webcams. Feel free to pick through for technical loopholes at our more coverage link, and let's hope this little LMSD soap opera is finally at an end.
