Laptop with a view

Released 19/02/2010

Shocking allegations from the US set Suzannah Wright thinking

We're all aware that the internet can be dangerous for young people, but we expect schools to be a safe shelter in those murky waters. So it's deeply disturbing toread reports of a school in the US which has apparently been using webcams in school-provided laptops to spy on pupils while at home. The school was activating web-cams covertly, presumably with the intent of monitoring internet use but the murky possibilities are immediately obvious.

The incident, reported on US-based blog BoingBoing, came to light when high school student Blake J Robbins was disciplined for "improper behavior in his home" and the school's Vice Principal used a photo taken by the webcam as evidence. Robbins has now brought a class action against the school, on behalf of all students issued with these machines.

It raises all kinds of questions around privacy and protection, especially when earlier this week we heard the first rumblings of discontent from unions over the use of softare that monitors emails and web usage for school computers.

If we hear more about the case we'll let you know.

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