http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/04/web-cams-spying-on-your-kids/
This editorial is about a recent controversy that has come up between a school and its parents. Basically, Harriton Senior High School in Bryn Mawr, Pa, issued around 2,000 laptops to the high school students, each with a hidden, remote controlled camera. These spy cameras were learned of when the school took a still shot of one of the students at home, accusing him of doing drugs (it was actually only candy). Now it looks as though the school is about to get into major trouble under privacy laws, for potentially constituting "an egregious violation of privacy and perhaps and illegal search and illegal wiretapping."the editorial then goes on to say that if Americans don't make it known to those in charge that doing this sort of thing is unacceptable, then the government is going to continue to abuse its power.
Personally, I agree with this editorial wholeheartedly. It is so wrong and creepy for school officials to be spying on students without the parent's knowledge (or really even with parental consent, not that any parent would give consent to that). They can claim whatever they like, but the fact of the matter is that hidden cameras were placed in the laptops with no one's permission, and now that school administration is going to have to pay the price. I know even in small cases, someone using a webcam to spy on another person can get into some serious trouble, so here you have administration potentially spying on thousands of kids who are minors. I agree with who the editorial says at the end as well, about that officials and in turn, the government, needs to be told enough is enough. However, I don't think I'd go as far as calling the government "Creeping Big Brotherism," because I'd say that is a tad bit too extreme, but I do think this situation should make some people think about privacy laws. It makes me wonder about the fact that the school officials would even think to play hidden spy cams in laptops for their students... the whole situation is just creepy.
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