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Did a US school use webcams in laptops to spy on students at school and at home?

Spy computer This one needs to be taken with a good pinch of the proverbial for the time being as it's based on the hitherto unsubstantiated claims made by students seeking compensation, but a remarkable story – laptops issued to students by a Philadelphia high school have webcams which can apparently be covertly activated by the schools' administrators.

It is believed that said administrators have used this facility to spy on students and even their families. The issue came to light when the claimant's child was apparently disciplined for "improper behavior in his home" and the Vice Principal used a photo taken by the webcam as evidence against him.

Here are the court papers filed by the claimants – they make quite remarkable reading.

If these claims are true, the ramifications for privacy everywhere are huge – and very bad.

By Alex Deane

Hat tip: Marchamont

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Big Brother Watch Posted in Legal Action, Privacy
  • ERM

    I reckon the parents would have to be pretty sure of their stuff to issue this. I note it says that one of the defendants Ms Matsko confirmed the surveillance capability(Point 24).
    Shocking if true. Now about those free PCs that Labour are providing to deprived kids………

  • redacted

    If this is true, I hope the people responsible are made an example of. It is clearly unacceptable.
    In the meantime if any “friend” or “family member” or “casual acquaintance” or “schoolteacher” offers you a free laptop or mobile communications device: Just say NO!

  • ZacS

    If you boot a different OS (IE linux) from a USB stick or CD, they won’t be able to use any of the software on the PC to spy on people. Trouble is, 99% of people don’t even know what linux is.

  • Gareth

    This is George Orwell’s Telescreen, though somewhat worse in that they victims of the alleged surveillance didn’t know they could be watched.

  • Jimbo

    @Alex: I have read the claim and it appears to be entirely genuine and professionally drafted; also it appears to be signed on behalf of three attorneys at Messrs Lamm Rubenstone and if they didn’t draft this detailed and technical claim, some other attorneys must be impersonating them! Has it been issued, though? I couldn’t find it at the court’s website but then perhaps you’re better with search engines … http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/index.htm
    @Gareth: quite right!
    @ERM: the govt wants to roll out high speed broadband across the country; will they be dishing out PCs as well? Beware!

  • Redacted

    Update. The school are calling it a theft tracking system and denying it was used to spy.
    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LAPTOPS_SPYING_ON_STUDENTS?SITE=TXWIC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

  • ZacS

    Wouldn’t a thief wipe the hard drive first, removing all the software controlling these devices?

  • Sandy