Webcam Flap Raises Big-Picture Privacy Issues

Experts say Pa. district could have put together a less intrusive approach.

By Associated Press & McClatchy-Tribune News Service

A lawsuit filed against a Pennsylvania school district that accuses officials of using laptop webcams to spy on students at home is prompting educators across the country to re-examine where protecting school computer property ends and invading students’ privacy begins.

The Lower Merion School District near Philadelphia finds itself defending against a potential class action after a student complained last month of being photographed inside his home by a webcam from a school-issued laptop computer and accused of selling drugs.

While the district told parents it only activated the webcams as part of an anti-theft measure, technology experts say school officials could have used far less intrusive methods such as GPS tracking devices. And school technicians and administrators across the country are already reconsidering their own anti-theft technologies, especially in districts that issue laptops to students for use at school and home as part...