US says it is not illegal for schools to spy on students at home

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. By saying that the school was not "criminal" the prosecutors are not implying that the outfit was right. However it does mean that schools do not have to be worried about being locked up for spying on their students using this method. It also says that breaches of privacy that are not carried out for "bad reasons" is OK in the United States. So if you are a company that wants to watch what its employees get up to in their home in case they might be taking corporate secrets, that is OK one imagines. You could still be sued if the employee finds out, but it is not criminal. One wonders then if HP should ever have gone down for the pre-texting scandal or are schools allowed to do what they like?

Source

However it does mean that schools do not have to be worried about being locked up for spying on their students using this method. It also says that breaches of privacy that are not carried out for "bad reasons" is OK in the United States. So if you are a company that wants to watch what its employees get up to in their home in case they might be taking corporate secrets, that is OK one imagines. You could still be sued if the employee finds out, but it is not criminal. One wonders then if HP should ever have gone down for the pre-texting scandal or are schools allowed to do what they like?

What the *bleep* is this country coming to? Its official that you have NO RIGHT to privacy,even in your own homes anymore. So I say,don't send your kids ti school anymore. Simple as that. People need to call the lawyers and give them an ear full RIGHT NOW!

What can i say? This is totally absurd and left me speechless.

This is as absurd as a news surfacing today that Finland is looking to become the first country that totally bans tobacco.

I mean come on! Am i awake or is this a nightmare?

reply to post by above


Really? Im sure people will riot over that but would even say a peep about this. People just either dont care or are too busy watching american idol.

reply to post by hawaiinguy12


This was posted yesterday, but for some reason people didnt seem to pay that much attention to it.

WTF is going on around this place? Im about sick and tired of the double standard around here (USA). Its like there are two sets of laws. One for Joe Blow and one for the CEO of wherever Joe Blow works.

Let some random person do what the school has done. He would be sitting in jail right now no questions asked, and that where he belongs. But for some reason the school, which is there to teach and respect all kid's rights, can do whatever the hell they want.

Maybe one day people will wake up and realize what an abomination the public school system has become.

"Do what we say, not what we do"

Our cage gets smaller every day...

MOTF!

[edit on 18-8-2010 by MessOnTheFED!]

reply to post by MessOnTheFED!


Im glad you noticed....

I started a thread on this yesterday, and no one really cared. I figured I was alone in seeing this as an issue.

If it was my kid that was being spied on, I would be more than pissed.

Why aren't the prosecutors standing up for the children?

I think the kid should somehow find a way to secretly serveil (and videotape) the school admin in their own home to see if what they are doing isn't in some way considered child porn. If he uses that excuse, then it won't be criminal for him to do it correct?

And then post what he finds on the internet.

[edit on 18-8-2010 by Nutter]

reply to post by WhiteDevil013


You most deffinately are not alone brother.

Maybe you should have titles your thread "muslim aliens empregnate michelle obama" people would have came then.

This is a major issue in my eyes because it sets the standard for other schools to follow. If one of my children came into my house with any device that i knew was used for spying for a SCHOOL, it would be smashed on my driveway with no feelings of guilt afterward. And they would not get a single dime from me either.

This id effin rediculus.

MOTF!

reply to post by hawaiinguy12


I have a question for the legal eagles here on ATS regarding this.
Lets say a student has a school district issued laptop at their house and the school district CAN view through the camera what the student is doing. What happens when a student decides to get naked in front of the camera and pleasure themselves when this camera is on, will the school district be charged with having and/or viewed child pornography?

reply to post by rangersdad


According to this article anything flies. I'm sure that even happened and they did not even mention it. Welcome to Big Brother USA,land of the watched,home of the slaves.

Ok let me get this straight,

it is perfectly fine for school administrators to spy on KIDS in thier own bedrooms, using surviellance hardware

But,

It is totally illegal for a citizen to video tape thier encounters with Officers of the law on public property?



~meathead

reply to post by Mike Stivic


Haven't you heard yet? There are different rules for "us and them".

hrmm... all it takes is one underage student being naked in one of those images. And they can sue for child porn.

that's just wrong of the school.

reply to post by rangersdad


Exactly. These "above" common people are acting like there is some kind of imaginary line. On one side you have the common folk, who are capable of some of the most disturbing acts imaginable and on the other side you have the "upper crust" citizen, who is not capable of doing any wrong.

Who is to say that some of these teachers dont fancy children. Not a month goes by where i hear of some teacher having some inappropiate conduct with a student. I guess now we wont hear about it because the teacher can sit in the comfort of their home and look at any kid they want.

Words cannot describe the anger that this story brings to my soul.

MOTF!

captured 56,000 screen shotsand webcam images

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

Wow ! 56 000 screen shots from INSIDE PRIVATE ROOMS !!!

What the heck " to investigate home drug use" this is the parents job. PERIOD !

Imagine they got sexual activity between two 14 years old students ( lets face it teens starting having sex at 11 or 12 yo in the modern society ) can they be prosecuted for pedophillia ? or getting screens shots and movies of a 11 years old preteen masturbating discovering his/ her own sexuality ? is this ok ? to protect the childs WITHOUT their consent there no more rules or laws everything is permitted ? for their own good ?

Laptop have microphones too, so there is no more private conversation

See where its going ? Monitoring kids to see which ones are the free thinkers and the toublesmakers, diagnoses them with attention deficit disorder and feeding them with drugs

Is this so crazy ? Comon, " to investigate home drug use " what a B.S they want CONTROL

This CAN'T BE tolerated, but as usual, people will accept this .

I eat my McDo crap everyday : CHECK
War occuring in country far from mine, so i dont care : CHECK
I can watch American Idols : CHECK
MSM tell me that everything is find : CHECK

Good everything is alright, life is good.






[edit on 18/8/2010 by B3lz3buth]

simple: dont allow your children to have the laptops

Put a piece of tape over the camera if your child brings a laptop home from school.

reply to post by elfie

What do you think I do with my laptop. Some call me crazy but I call myself ingenious

Well I say they can stick their rules where the sun don't shine! My kids are out of school and this never happened when they were in school. They have us in a position where both parents have to work to make ends meet - therefore not enough time to home school your children. Now freaking Big Brother is knocking on your door, spying in your bedroom. On another thread a lady told how they kept coming to her home and even wanted to look in her refrigerator. I do have grandchildren and they are affected by this and I stand by all kids. Why now does the school have the power of law enforcement. I am angry, does it show!

Alright since its OK for them to spy on me, I'm going to put secret spy cameras in schools all across the US and spy on them. Better yet lets put spy cameras in homes of principals and teachers and spy on them in bed. Makes perfect sense now according to them.