TechNewsWorld Talkback

Re: Lawsuit Alleges School Used Webcams to Lurk in Students' Homes
Posted by: Katherine Noyes 2010-02-19 10:03:31

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A Pennsylvania couple has filed a lawsuit against their local school district for allegedly using the webcam in a school-issued laptop to spy on their son at home. The suit -- which was filed last week in U.S. District Court by Michael Robbins and Holly Robbins on behalf of their son, Blake Robbins -- alleges that the Lower Merion School District of Ardmore, Pa., invaded students' privacy and stole private information, violating numerous laws. The family seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as class action status for the suit.

Simple Solution: Black Electrical Tape over Webcams
Posted by: wizworks 2010-02-19 12:45:00 In reply to: Katherine Noyes

This is disgusting. If my child ever carries, or is forced to accept issuance of a school computer, I will immediately require that my kid keep a piece of black electrical tape over the eye of the webcam. Stupid things like this are easily prevented by such a low tech fix. A one inch square piece will do nicely to knock out webcam visibility. Be sure to cover microphone holes too, if you're really paranoid. Else, the *BEST* thing you can do is provide your child with their OWN computer and then the school doesn't get any say over how it's used, or what software is to be set up on it. It's time for parents to take more control and set the terms for once. Technological ignorance is no longer an excuse.