Official: FBI probing Pa. school webcam spy case

[pnwmom]

Source: Washington Post

PHILADELPHIA -- The FBI is investigating a Pennsylvania school district accused of secretly activating webcams inside students' homes, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Friday.

The FBI will explore whether Lower Merion School District officials broke any federal wiretap or computer-intrusion laws, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the investigation.

Days after a student filed suit over the practice, Lower Merion officials acknowledged Friday that they remotely activated webcams 42 times in the past 14 months, but only to find missing student laptops. They insist they never did so to spy on students, as the student's family claimed in the federal lawsuit.

Families were not informed of the possibility the webcams might be activated in their homes without their permission in the paperwork students sign when they get the computers, district spokesman Doug Young said.

SNIP

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021902004.html

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I think the writer's paraphrase here "they insist they never did so to spy on students" -- is not a very good one. What the District's letter actually said implied to me that they didn't do this as a District -- in other words, it wasn't a District policy. It didn't address the question of what any individual administrator might have done.

[Chemisse]

1. This was so so wrong

I'm glad they are looking into it. I am curious if any of the kids were taped in undress, and how the FBI will proceed with all that.

How could they not see this was such a terribly bad idea. If they wanted to keep track of the computers, they could've put a GPS in them.

[alp227]

2. Sorry, in loco parentis applies only on campus.

At home, parents are the eyes.

[unblock]

3. "in loco parentis" means "in the place of parents"

i.e., WHEN PARENTS AREN'T THERE!

parents are obviously AT HOME!

this was a STUPID, STUPID move on the part of the school.

[LiberalFighter]

4. The paperwork the students sign?

Were the students living on their own or in their parents home? It appears the to be the latter.

Have things changed that parents are no longer required to be included in student activities?

[LiberalFighter]

5. Only to find missing student laptops?

Were the laptops involved missing at the time? Something doesn't smell right.

[conscious evolution]

6. paperwork students sign

I thought minors did not have the legal ability/right to sign contracts unless emancipated.

[Lochloosa]

7. +1