[Vision2020] More school laptop spy cam stupidity

[Paul Rumelhart]

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