FBI Probing School Webcam Spy Case
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts as Miami Heat small forward Shane Battier looks on during the first half at Game 1 of the NBA finals basketball series, Tuesday, June 12, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) / Jeff Roberson
The FBI is investigating a Pennsylvania school district accused of secretly activating webcams inside students' homes, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Friday.
The FBI will explore whether Lower Merion School District officials broke any federal wiretap or computer-intrusion laws, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Days after a student filed suit over the practice, Lower Merion officials acknowledged Friday that they remotely activated webcams 42 times in the past 14 months, but only to find missing student laptops. They insist they never did so to spy on students, as the student's family claimed in the federal lawsuit.
Families were not informed of the possibility the webcams might be activated in their homes without their permission in the paperwork students sign when they get the computers, district spokesman Doug Young said.
"It's clear what was in place was insufficient, and that's unacceptable," Young said.
The district has suspended the practice amid the lawsuit and the accompanying uproar from students, the community and privacy advocates. District officials hired outside counsel to review the past webcam activations and advise the district on related issues, Young said.
Remote-activation software can be used to capture keystrokes, send commands over the Internet or turn computers into listening devices by turning on built-in microphones. People often use it for legitimate purposes - to access computers from remote locations, for example. But hackers can use it to steal passwords and spouses to track the whereabouts of partners or lovers.
The Pennsylvania case shows how even well-intentioned plans can go awry if officials fail to understand the technology and its potential consequences, privacy experts said. Compromising images from inside a student's bedroom could fall into the hands of rogue school staff or otherwise be spread across the Internet, they said.
"What about the (potential) abuse of power from higher ups, trying to find out more information about the head of the PTA?" wondered Ari Schwartz, vice president at the Center for Democracy and Technology. "If you don't think about the privacy and security consequences of using this kind of technology, you run into problems."
The FBI opened its investigation after news of the suit broke on Thursday, the law-enforcement official said. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman may also investigate, she said Friday. Lower Merion, an affluent district in Philadelphia's suburbs, issues Apple laptops to all 2,300 students at its two high schools. Only two employees in the technology department were authorized to activate the cameras - and only to locate missing laptops, Young said. The remote activations captured images but never recorded sound, he said.
No one had complained before Harriton High School student Blake Robbins and his parents, Michael and Holly Robbins, filed their lawsuit Tuesday, he said.
According to the suit, Harriton vice principal Lindy Matsko told Blake on Nov. 11 that the school thought he was "engaged in improper behavior in his home." She allegedly cited as evidence a photograph "embedded" in his school-issued laptop.
The suit does not say if his laptop had been reported stolen, and Young said the litigation prevents him from disclosing that fact. He said the district never violated its policy of only using the remote-activation software to find missing laptops. "Infer what you want," Young said.
Neither the family nor their lawyer, Mark Haltzman, returned calls for comments this week. The suit accuses the school of turning on Blake's webcam while the computer was inside his Penn Valley home, allegedly violating wiretap laws and his right to privacy.
The remote activations helped the district locate 28 of the 42 missing computers, Young said. He could not immediately say whether the technology staff was authorized to share the images with Matsko or other officials. Either way, the potential for abuse is nearly limitless, especially since many teens keep their computers in their bedrooms, experts said.
"This is an age where kids explore their sexuality, so there's a lot of that going on in the room," said Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which is not involved in the Robbins case. "This is fodder for child porn."
© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The FBI will explore whether Lower Merion School District officials broke any federal wiretap or computer-intrusion laws, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Days after a student filed suit over the practice, Lower Merion officials acknowledged Friday that they remotely activated webcams 42 times in the past 14 months, but only to find missing student laptops. They insist they never did so to spy on students, as the student's family claimed in the federal lawsuit.
Families were not informed of the possibility the webcams might be activated in their homes without their permission in the paperwork students sign when they get the computers, district spokesman Doug Young said.
"It's clear what was in place was insufficient, and that's unacceptable," Young said.
The district has suspended the practice amid the lawsuit and the accompanying uproar from students, the community and privacy advocates. District officials hired outside counsel to review the past webcam activations and advise the district on related issues, Young said.
Remote-activation software can be used to capture keystrokes, send commands over the Internet or turn computers into listening devices by turning on built-in microphones. People often use it for legitimate purposes - to access computers from remote locations, for example. But hackers can use it to steal passwords and spouses to track the whereabouts of partners or lovers.
The Pennsylvania case shows how even well-intentioned plans can go awry if officials fail to understand the technology and its potential consequences, privacy experts said. Compromising images from inside a student's bedroom could fall into the hands of rogue school staff or otherwise be spread across the Internet, they said.
"What about the (potential) abuse of power from higher ups, trying to find out more information about the head of the PTA?" wondered Ari Schwartz, vice president at the Center for Democracy and Technology. "If you don't think about the privacy and security consequences of using this kind of technology, you run into problems."
The FBI opened its investigation after news of the suit broke on Thursday, the law-enforcement official said. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman may also investigate, she said Friday. Lower Merion, an affluent district in Philadelphia's suburbs, issues Apple laptops to all 2,300 students at its two high schools. Only two employees in the technology department were authorized to activate the cameras - and only to locate missing laptops, Young said. The remote activations captured images but never recorded sound, he said.
No one had complained before Harriton High School student Blake Robbins and his parents, Michael and Holly Robbins, filed their lawsuit Tuesday, he said.
According to the suit, Harriton vice principal Lindy Matsko told Blake on Nov. 11 that the school thought he was "engaged in improper behavior in his home." She allegedly cited as evidence a photograph "embedded" in his school-issued laptop.
The suit does not say if his laptop had been reported stolen, and Young said the litigation prevents him from disclosing that fact. He said the district never violated its policy of only using the remote-activation software to find missing laptops. "Infer what you want," Young said.
Neither the family nor their lawyer, Mark Haltzman, returned calls for comments this week. The suit accuses the school of turning on Blake's webcam while the computer was inside his Penn Valley home, allegedly violating wiretap laws and his right to privacy.
The remote activations helped the district locate 28 of the 42 missing computers, Young said. He could not immediately say whether the technology staff was authorized to share the images with Matsko or other officials. Either way, the potential for abuse is nearly limitless, especially since many teens keep their computers in their bedrooms, experts said.
"This is an age where kids explore their sexuality, so there's a lot of that going on in the room," said Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which is not involved in the Robbins case. "This is fodder for child porn."
Popular in SciTech
- Amazon proposes a colossal biospherelike Seattle campus
- Weird pirate ant comes with an "eye patch"
- The 7 weirdest things made by 3D printing
- NASA funds 3D pizza printer
- Xbox One Press Conference
- Microsoft announces Xbox One 16 Photos
- Microsoft announces Xbox One
- Apple's next iPhone may be coming in June
Many companies will sell inexpensive GPS units and tracking technology which will locate the exact location of the laptop and they are commonly used by businesses to prevent identity theft.
Isn't it fishy in and of itself that the school would prefer producing a live video feed over a proven and accurate technology?
Ask yourself what was he doing at night looking through the web cam of laptops sent home with students?!
With all the TV news clips about how pedophiles like to take jobs around children (like in schools or day care) I
suspect that maybe his intentions were not exactly pure in looking through the web cam of student's laptops at
night.
When he saw a student with what he took to be drugs it would offer him an ideal opportunity to blackmail the kid
into sex by using the threat of turning him into the police. Why else would he take such a huge chance by clearly
demonstrating that he was spying on kids at night?! I mean if he had said instead "I was peeking through your
window last night and I think I saw you taking drugs" would it be a bit more clear what the heck he was up to?!
Any way you look at it the guy is an electronic peeping tom.
I just hope the FBI isn't clueless about this possibility. But I'm posting this just in case they are in the hope
that someone investigating the case sees this and thinks to themselves "Hmmmm, maybe there is something maybe a wee
bit suspicious about the vice principles behavior!".
This sort snooping is going to be with humans forever now. Telephones that are marketed in the U.S. are required to function as a room microphone as well as a telephone when signaled to do so. Burglar alarms are required to have a back door so that the police can enter the premises without the alarm going off or a signal being sent to the alarm monitoring station. If you install high security locks it is a invitation for the police to do a black bag job on your home. The manufacturer of those high security locks will provide the police a key on demand. I would be wiling to bet that computers all have a special back door that allows snooping over the internet, maybe with some manipulation but there is a way.
That said, this should drive a nail in the coffin of "free laptop" programs in schools. Computers are much more effective learning tools when the people using them have paid for them.
This should be taken VERY SERIOUSLY by whatever agency is appropriate and they should be fired and criminally prosecuted!!!
This is a clear violation of the fourth amendment (The Right To Privacy)and is so blatant as to boggle the mind!!!
Any parent that thinks that this is a legitimate idea doesn't know the first thing about raising children.
This is a frightening example of George Orwell's 1984 (Big Brother)!
Most of us have computor screens. Imagine if it were on and recording your most private moments.
Do our children deserve any less privacy than we do???
AND MOST KIDS DO NOT USE DRUGS -ONLY THE ONES WHOSE LIVES HAVE NO MENTORS, CARING PARENTS OR FAMILY TO HELP THEM GET THROUGH GROWING UP. If you thought your kid was using drugs, why didn't you take him or her for testing? You thought the school should do it. You think they do such a great job at anything?. Kids are lucky to get out of high school with their brains and self esteem only minimally damaged.
You're a failure as a parent and looking for sympathy. Not here.