[Vision2020] More school laptop spy cam stupidity

[Art Deco]

If there isn't, there should be federal, state, and local felony level laws prohibiting and punishing severely this kind of snooping.  The same goes for intercepting private emails, live and recorded chats, documents in-transit and residing on storage devices, etc.

I was on a forum (not any more) where private messages between members were intercepted, and sometimes not then forwarded.

I have unsuccessfully tried to motivate Senator Crapo about this problem, spam problems, and malware problems for several years.  All I get back is a form letter expressing concern and a promise that some action may occur in the future.  Perhaps it is time for all of us to contact all our federal and state senators and representatives about these issues again.

Wayne A. Fox
1009 Karen Lane
PO Box 9421
Moscow, ID  83843

waf at moscow.com
208 882-7975
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul Rumelhart 
  To: vision 2020 
  Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 12:35 PM
  Subject: [Vision2020] More school laptop spy cam stupidity


  Here is an article that was posted on a news site I read:

  http://techdirt.com/articles/20100221/2118128243.shtml

  Apparently, the student is claiming that the "inappropriate behavior" he was allegedly engaged in was eating Mike & Ike candies.  The administrators presumably thought they were drugs, and hilarity ensued.

  Also, here is a blog that talks about the software allegedly on these laptops, some of the people involved, and so forth:

  http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2010/02/spy-at-harrington-high.html

  Some highlights:

  Students were complaining problems with the machines because the green light that indicated the camera was on would flash at odd times.  They were told it was a glitch and the student would be offered a replacement laptop.

  Students were forbidden to jailbreak their laptops, and could face serious trouble if they did so, including expulsion.

  Laptop use was mandatory for classes.

  Students using their personal laptops would get them confiscated if they were found.

  Laptop cameras could not be disabled (except by physically covering them over with tape).

  The software, if it thought it the laptop was stolen (which it would if it was outside of the "home" network), would take screenshots and pictures and upload them to their servers at regular intervals along with some other technical information like IP address.

  The computers, when used at student's home, would be outside of the "home" network, and would thus presumably send regular snapshots to their server.

  Unbelievable.  Nobody but Donovan would allow this in a sane world.

  It's my understanding that children (and we're talking high school students here) do actually have one or two basic rights.  Perhaps I'm wrong about that.

  Paul

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