Lower Merion high school Webcam flap: Report says 56,000 images snapped

Lower Merion School District employees activated the web cameras and tracking software on laptops they gave to high school students about 80 times in the past two school years, snapping nearly 56,000 images that included photos of students, pictures inside their homes and copies of the programs or files running on their screens, district investigators have concluded.

Among the key points:

In most cases, school district employees turned off the system after a laptop was found.

In at least five instances, district employees kept the Webcams on and took pictures for days.

Six laptops accounted for most of the images—all six were reported missing from Harriton High School, which gave all of its high school students a laptop.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=33263


Lower Merion School District employees activated the Web cameras and Internet address tracking software on laptops...about 146 times during the last two school years, snapping nearly 56,000 images...In 48 of those activations, images were recovered...About 38,500 images - or almost two-thirds... - came from six laptops that were reported missing from the Harriton gymnasium in September 2008. The tracking system continued to store images from those computers for nearly six months, until police recovered them and charged a suspect with theft in March 2009.

The next biggest chunk of images stems from the five or so laptops on which employees failed or forgot to turn off the tracking software, even after the student recovered the computer. In about 15 activations, investigators have been unable to identify why a student's laptop was being monitored. ...He said none appeared to be "salacious or inappropriate" images but said that in no way justified the use of the program.

Only two employees - information systems coordinator Carol Cafiero and network technician Mike Perbix - could actually turn on and off the tracking. Hockeimer said the district investigators have no evidence to suggest either Perbix or Cafiero activated the system without being asked. But the requests were loose and disorganized, he said, sometimes amounting to just a brief e-mail.

Ru Freeman, one of the founders of Parents in Support of the Lower Merion School District, said, "I think it's important for all of us parents to stay calm and wait until all the information is out after the judicial process is complete."

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100420_Lower_Merion_details_scope_of_Web-cam_surveillance.html

very thoroughly.

As well as previous ones, as they keep repeating things which aren't true.

For example, it's been public information from day 1 that once activated, both photos & screenshots were captured every 15 minutes.

e.g. March 6:

Once activated, the LANrev software program took webcam photographs of the user and screen shots every 15 minutes the computer was in use. Privacy experts say there are far less intrusive ways to track lost laptops.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/03/06/news/doc4b913a6c9c071435292425.txt

yet some posters keep repeating that the screenshots are some new wrinkle.

"images" = both photos & screenshots.

once activated, one computer would thus transmit 192 images in 24 hours.

without permission. That's it...that's all anyone needs to know or cares about.

What other aspect of the Constitution do you not understand? You also don't seem to comprehend THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ADMITTED THAT THEY FUCKED UP. COMPLETELY UTTERLY AND TOTALLY FUCKED UP.

Tell you what: why don't you move here and convince the School Board, the Administrators, the teachers, and all their attorneys that you're right and they're wrong. They're all beating their heads against the wall for completely and totallydropping the ball on this one. Just give up.