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It's not just Lower Merion!: Bronx school watches unwitting students via Webcam
It's not just Lower Merion!: Bronx school watches unwitting students via Webcam
In this week's A Million Stories, we explored the messy Webcam scandal that's going down at Lower Merion School District. The district insists that it only peered through students' Webcams in order to find lost or stolen laptops, and did so using a security software called LANrev. Insanely enough, Douglas Young, the district's spokesperson, told us that it wasn't the only school district using such software: "The software feature isn't just utilized in this school district," says Young. "It's utilized by other school districts and organizations." (He said he couldn't name any offhand.)
Dude wasn't kidding. Young might be onto something. In the thoroughly creepy clip above from the PBS documentary Digital Nation, the assistant principal of Bronx's middle school IS 339, Daniel Ackerman, shows exactly how he can watch kids through their Webcams — what software or application he does it with, though, is unclear. Just wait for the part where he says, "They don't even realize that we're watching." Oy. Also: "I always like to mess with them and take their [Photo Booth] picture."
Now, it's unclear if Ackerman watches students from their homes, which is what Lower Merion is accused of doing, but still — the students don't even realize he's watching them? Seriously, he thought that was OK? Be sure to watch this clip on PBS' site, too (it's under part four). Not only is the doc great in general, but the reporter (whose face is obscured in the YouTube video) has an absolutely stunned, unamused look on her face as Ackerman is laughing about the whole thing.
UPDATE: I wasn't clear enough earlier about whether or not Ackerman was using LANrev to view these students — indeed, from this clip, it's impossible to know.
RELATED:Â Inky: Laptop family lives in Main Line mansion, doesnÂ’t like to pay the power bill
RELATED: So, um, did the kid make it up?
RELATED: Breaking: Lower Merion School District admits it's used Webcam "security feature" more than once
"Just wait for the part where he says, "They don't even realize that we're watching." Oy. Also: "I always like to mess with them and take their [Photo Booth] picture." Lacks context. He's monitoring kids, in schoole, to make sure they're paying attention to the class. Additionally, the kids are somehow alerted when the pics are taken, as they "duck out of the way". It's just a way to say: "Hey, stop goofing off".
They're notified by the fact that Photo Booth starts counting down. (I have a Mac; I've used Photo Booth.) They're not being notified by the school or in any other official way. I wonder if the kids know that the school can watch them at any time. If the administrators have any sense, they will notify the students that they may be under surveillance. That covers the legal issues, and also has an additional bonus: it acts as a deterrent. If they want monitoring to actually prevent slacking, then the students need to know about it. More to the point, what the administrator is doing here amounts to voyeurism. He's openly admitting to being amused watching girls do their makeup, and that strikes me as a tad disturbing.
Agreed, his delivery of the process is...creepy. However, assuming adequate notification of the monitoring (and following certain obvious privacy rules), I have no objections. But it's not really comparable to what Lower Merion did (unless, of course, those certain privacy rules are breached).
When you watch the film, it appears the vp is looking at screenshots - and some students keep the photobooth app open. I don't think the vp actually turns on the camera to look at them if it's not already on, though the filmmakers weren't clear on that. I think mostly they are monitoring the kids for goofing off with IM and facebook. Different from the Lower Merion allegations. STILL, I think the vice principal's attitude (in the clip) toward the surveillance is creepy. AND I think it would be very easy for a perv to abuse the system if they he or she knew how to switch on the cameras.
its great that so many people are "ok" with someone watching minors through remote access- if someone stared at you on the street for 3 minutes you would think they are disturbed and invading your space. Children used to have a comeback "what do you have a stare problem?" because everyone knew it was wrong and disturbing. Now, everyone is conditioned just to accept things- and don't even exercise their rights- there is no need for students to be watched like this- they have a teacher and often times teachers aides- and if 2-3 adults in a classroom isn't enough then that is the issue not "adding" cameras to the mix.
The idea that cameras are now a "management tool" that has been growing in public space and private corporations is repugnant and often times illegal. Wiretapping was previously always the domain of goverment law enforcement- and they had strict hurdles to go through. Companies demanded them for loss prevention- and in strict narrow confines of that it probably is not a bad idea. But where there is opportunity there are rule breakers that cannot control themselves. I recently was accosted by a convenience store manager when she reviewed her "security" tapes and said I lingered too long talking to an employee. Did I chat with her employee-sure- but who cares? Now first, I'm a customer and I don't really care what you say to the employee "keep it short-etc. but I'm a customer and I don't need that. Further, she felt she was gaining some kind of crediblity by saying we have you on tape- all she did was creeep me out and made me realize these people are sitting in the back and spending WAY too much time with their tapes, and not for secuirty. It builds somekind of weird comfort zone/fake relationship with the people they watch. I haven't been back since, won't be back and don't care what justification they claim- security cameras are not management tools- they are there for loss prevention and that is it. This was not loss prevention- it was spying plain and simple- so much of this goes on and people do not even know- but they should be cautious and understand that many companies have vague, inadequate and poorly formed policies that not only don't protect you but exploit you. And even a good policiy is not often followed- there have been lawsuits because employees aim cameras into windows etc. I am clearly for strict limitations on cameras and their uses- loss prevention yes- "management by camera" is a joke and a lie.
Apples and oranges. Bronx school is monitoring usage in school setting.
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