School Monitoring Software Sacrifices Student Privacy for Unproven Promises of Safety.
School Monitoring Software Sacrifices Student Privacy for Unproven Promises of Safety.
Imagine your search terms, key-strokes, private chats and photographs are being monitored every time they are sent. Millions of students across the country don’t have to imagine this deep surveillance of their most private communications: it’s a reality that comes with their school districts’...
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...on students’ school-issued machines and accounts.
These are school issued machines, and like all machines issued by a 3rd party for use under their supervision, they come with monitoring software.
This isn't some dystopian issue, and frankly, students should not be using school issued machines for private chats or photo storage, and should absolutely have their search history monitored while using said devices.
These aren't necessarily the computers you and I grew up on where they had a dedicated computer lab room for use during class time. These are devices they take everywhere with them, even home. Now imagine some creepy school IT administrator decided to peek on the Webcams of kids while they're on their room?
No need to imagine, it's linked in the article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/610k-settlement-in-school-webcam-spy-case/
God the school's response is so sleazy and unapologetic
that's how they act when they get caught, remember the Catholic Church
Camera/mic access seems like overreach. PII should be obfuscated and only accessible with an audited workflow that includes an access review.
Modern off the shelf MDM is capable of this.
I understand the difference between a laptop and PC thanks.
Now imagine if, and hear me out, one didn't bring school hardware home so some "creepy IT administrator" doesn't have access.
"Save the kids" arguments always fall flat on the face when the solution is as simple as leaving school devices at school.
They have to take it home for homework.
No, they don't. I am sure the majority have a computer or smart phone at home, and if not libraries exist for a reason.
There are more people in poverty without a computer than you realize. Now write me a 5 paragraph essay with correct source citation on your smart phone.
Yeah it's a good thing homework doesn't exist.
Good thing for home computers, smart devices, and libraries eh?
Good thing nobody is poor!
Good thing poor people have access to public libraries. I know from experience.
There are "book deserts" where it can be difficult to visit a public library.
There are plenty of articles showing how libraries across the country are closing, usually in poor neighborhoods.
Sounds like a bigger problem than schools monitoring the use of devices issued to children.
Might want to get that sorted.
The point is that your argument falls apart considering it kept being propped up by your assertion that kids can just use the library computers if they're too poor to have a computer at home.
But that doesn't matter; you're not actually here to debate in good faith.
"When our position on an issue is no longer based on curiosity and the desire for the truth, but a desire to win a debate. When someone reaches this stage of discourse, there's no need to try and persuade them."
The point is that your argument falls apart considering it kept being propped up by your assertion that kids can just use the library computers if they’re too poor to have a computer at home.
But that doesn’t matter; you’re not actually here to debate in good faith.
Debate Pervert: “When our position on an issue is no longer based on curiosity and the desire for the truth, but a desire to win a debate. When someone reaches this stage of discourse, there’s no need to try and persuade them.”That wasn't my argument, and is still a viable option. Libraries still exist.
My point and argument was: It is the schools decision on what happens with school hardware.
Have any thing to say to my point without being combative? Or do I add you to the pile of people not worth interacting with in the future?
Many of the kids affected have no access to another device. The whole reason schools supply hardware now is because it's needed to access their educational materials, and it's massively inequitable to only have students who have money able to develop their skills at home.
wait schools dont have computer labs anymore???? in ALL my schools and the one im in right now we have them
I honestly don't know if they do or don't have. I'd imagine it also varies by region. I just know schools have started giving out laptops to kids to take home if they are needed.
This isn't isolated to school-issued equipment. While this article is mostly talking about high school students, this same situation plagues upper education, as well. My roommate was recently taking some college courses from home, and the proctoring software they require installs rootkit-level spyware on his computer and tried monitoring our entire network activity.
That is 100% a different issue.
Not really, though. In both scenarios, somebody attending a public school is required to have invasive spyware running on their devices.
The difference between schools installing the programs on their own hardware and installing them on personal devices is stark and I cannot take any argument seriously that ignores this.
You're missing the point. Either way, the use of this invasive software is required in order to attend public school.
I cannot take any argument seriously that ignores this.
Either way, the use of this invasive software is required in order to attend public school.
Oh? Who is forcing the use of school issued equipment?
Last time I checked one did not need a school issued device to attend a public school. In fact I would go out on a limb and say the majority are too underfunded to give every student a device in the first place.
Oh? Who is forcing the use of school issued equipment?
The schools. Many assignments are given 100% digitally now, with no option for a pencil-and-paper version outside of special needs situations, which not every student qualifies for.
Last time I checked
"was clearly a long time ago" is how that sentence should've ended.
“was clearly a long time ago” is how that sentence should’ve ended.
Source something that proves a single thing you have said or jog on.
I've had to use that horrible software in university. I asked for accommodations because I use Linux and they issued me a university laptop for exams.
I would schedule it at the school testing center and take it there just to avoid it.
Justify it however you want it but this is a huge over reach esp since we got some shiti 3p vendor involved to middle man this.
I totally trust them not to sell that data after it is "properly anonymized" or "leaked" 🤡
Can you explain to me how a 3rd party putting monitoring software on their own hardware is an over reach?
School is the counterparty and a state actor with everything that entails sign a poorly negotiated, likely corruption ridden contract with some trust me bro we don't sell data, vendor, ie third party.
Now your child is subject to a contract arrangement that you are not privy too that enables some "dudes" to track your child's usage of equipment.
If you don't see this as an overeach, society has really degraded esp in context of the child abuse issues we are coming grips with.
School is the counterparty and a state actor with everything that entails sign a poorly negotiated, likely corruption ridden contract with some trust me bro we don’t sell data, vendor, ie third party.
What could be gained by monitoring someones school activity that is not already bought and sold by social media companies that the majority use excessively and daily?
Now your child is subject to a contract arrangement that you are not privy too that enables some “dudes” to track your child’s usage of equipment.
Don't use third party hardware if you are worried about being monitored.
If you don’t see this as an overeach, society has really degraded esp in context of the child abuse issues we are coming grips with.
If you could make a real argument that isn't a personal attack or logical fallacy that would be great.
The article has a pretty convincing argument against it. You should read the whole thing.
I read the article and it is not in any way convincing.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
Yeah, when i was in school; there were no devices issued to students. We had 'computer labs'. Ie; a room full of computers for student use. There was always one computer for the teachers to use that had a remote-desktop interface monitoring every screen in the room live. They could always see what you were doing, lockout your keyboard/mouse, blank your display.
This really doesn't seem any different.
I could understand outrage if students were require to install this on their own hardware; but school issued devices are under the schools monitoring and control. Always have been.
These are different because kids take these computers home, and it’s some random working for a 3rd party monitoring what’s going on.
Creepy.
kids take these computers home
I feel like that is the bigger problem. These aren't private/personal devices; students shouldn't be treating them as personal devices. Especially knowing it's a monitored device.
Properly educating students on the use of these devices is the solution. Not telling schools to turn a blind eye to the use of their own equipment.
These are fucking kids. They are still learning what devices do and what their appropriate use is. If they are like me, they have probably already found ways to watch porn, monitor their crush's computer, read their email, and get into their webcam.
It's not lack of education.
It's lack of impulse control.
If they are like me, they have probably already found ways to watch porn, monitor their crush's computer, read their email, and get into their webcam.
I got into quite a bit of similar mischief as a (pre)teen; but I didn't do any of it on equipment that I knew was monitored (at least, monitored and signed out to me....)
Then you were the exception.
I mean yeah, I don't watch porn on an office computer at work after all. They should have their own devices for all that stuff. School devices = school-related activity only, no more.
Like doing homework in your room? Where now the monitor can turn on your webcam without you knowing and watch you in your personal space?
And again; I think that's a bit of a separate issue. These devices shouldn't be equipped with cameras, let alone have the camera monitored/accessible.
The actual activity happening on the device; running applications, what's on screen/in storage, even it's location (with informed notice of said tracking) sure. but there's no need to monitor/access the camera regardless of how or where the device is used.
A simple piece of tape fixes this problem. (plus education to teach students why, ofc)
tape on the computer camera? my family's done that for years on all/most of our devices lmao
When doing zoom calls for work I do it behind a curtain. Nobody sees my home at all. Then I cover the cam when not in use. These are just common sense privacy measures we should be teaching them anyway.
Even if kid limits it to that, this arrangement is still no appropriate.
I agree that this is no different, and has the same solution: Don't use the schools computers for things that aren't for school and you won't have no problems.
Damn right.