So Very Wrong
Apr. 19th, 2010 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kauricatWhile You Were Sleeping
So apparently this school in Philly gave laptops out to the kids and then if you wanted to take "your" laptop home, you had to pay $50 for insurance.
And if you didn't, or if you only paid part of it, the school would turn on the tracking program and the computer would take pictures with its webcam every so often. Like, every 15 seconds. I'm seeing numbers like 56,000 images. Though some of those may be screenshots, which were also taken.
The software that enables the school to take these pictures, as far as I understand it, was supposed to turn on some kind of tracking software. I do not believe the school was supposed to take pictures, although that was obviously something the software could do. The software was only supposed to be activated if a laptop was reported missing or stolen. Originally, I don't think anyone intended to turn on the tracking software just for failure to pay insurance. But that's what happened. And at least one kid's laptop got activated accidentally due to a name mix-up.
We're talking kids sleeping, kids partially (maybe fully) undressed, chats they were having, etc. I recognize that there is probably not a complete expectation of privacy when you are using a school's laptop, but taking pictures with or without warning (and no warning was given) is just way too much.
And it looks like someone was really enjoying these images:
Haltzman called [school district technology coordinator Carol Cafiero] Cafiero a possible "voyeur" and wants access to her personal computer to see if she downloaded any student images. To support the charge, he cited her response to an e-mail from a colleague who said viewing the webcam pictures was like watching "a little LMSD soap opera."
"I know, I love it!" Cafiero allegedly replied.
The FBI is investigating. So far Cafiero has refused to comment or answer questions, based on the 5th amendment right against self-incrimination.
So apparently this school in Philly gave laptops out to the kids and then if you wanted to take "your" laptop home, you had to pay $50 for insurance.
And if you didn't, or if you only paid part of it, the school would turn on the tracking program and the computer would take pictures with its webcam every so often. Like, every 15 seconds. I'm seeing numbers like 56,000 images. Though some of those may be screenshots, which were also taken.
The software that enables the school to take these pictures, as far as I understand it, was supposed to turn on some kind of tracking software. I do not believe the school was supposed to take pictures, although that was obviously something the software could do. The software was only supposed to be activated if a laptop was reported missing or stolen. Originally, I don't think anyone intended to turn on the tracking software just for failure to pay insurance. But that's what happened. And at least one kid's laptop got activated accidentally due to a name mix-up.
We're talking kids sleeping, kids partially (maybe fully) undressed, chats they were having, etc. I recognize that there is probably not a complete expectation of privacy when you are using a school's laptop, but taking pictures with or without warning (and no warning was given) is just way too much.
And it looks like someone was really enjoying these images:
Haltzman called [school district technology coordinator Carol Cafiero] Cafiero a possible "voyeur" and wants access to her personal computer to see if she downloaded any student images. To support the charge, he cited her response to an e-mail from a colleague who said viewing the webcam pictures was like watching "a little LMSD soap opera."
"I know, I love it!" Cafiero allegedly replied.
The FBI is investigating. So far Cafiero has refused to comment or answer questions, based on the 5th amendment right against self-incrimination.
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