what would you do if this happen to you?

[Webster]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110504/ap_on_re_us/us_rental_computer_spyware

[SLK001]

I would have searched the computer first and deleted all suspect programs. And I would have also put a piece of electrical black tape over the camera "eye", or, at the very least, removed the camera driver.

[redwudz]

One of our local high schools said they were trying to trace missing loaned school laptops and they called a student into their office and told him they had webcam pictures of him taking drugs in his bedroom at home. (It was his prescription drugs.) I don't know if the district was sued, but they changed the policy immediately. The software was loaded into the laptops by a security contractor and neither the parents or the students were informed.

The student in question had the laptop legally and it was never missing. They had selected the wrong laptop.

Since I don't use my laptop webcam, the camera lens is covered with a piece of tape.

[yoda313]

Well check before you buy I guess.

If you could I would reinstall the os as soon as you get it. Than you only install what you want. However I would imagine there would have to be some heavy fine print before doing business with a company like that again.

Or I'd want to know upfront if there was a remote possibility of that.

Lojack in a rental car is one thing. This is definitely another state entirely.

[Noahtuck]

Yeah, awhile back i saw an article about some high school getting sued because the laptops they issued to students had some software on them that let the school officials remotely turn on the built in webcams and watch what they were doing at home without their knowledge!!!

BIG TIME NO NO INVASION OF PRIVACY!!!!

The parents were PISSED!!!!
To say the least!!!

If that ever happened with one of my kids when they were in high school i probably would have been going to jail because i would have been up there beating someone's ass!!!

[lordsmurf]

I don't have cams on my computer, for starters.
And then I run CCleaner or even simply reformat. Usually the latter.

Computer ignorants are the only ones that have these problems.

Students that borrow school computers should put electrical tape over the cams.

[SLK001]

I don't have cams on my computer, for starters.

Unfortunately, a camera seems to be a standard feature now.

If I am renting-to-buy the computer, I can pretty much add/delete software as I see fit.

If the computer belongs to my school, or my employer, then I can probably add software, but deleting software could be a problem (since I am not the owner). Therefore, black electrical tape over the "eye" is the only way to go! Also, getting into the habit of placing the computer in STANDBY when not in use is probably useful.

[yoda313]

If I am renting-to-buy the computer, I can pretty much add/delete software as I see fit.

I have thought of something relevant to this. If its a rental deal you may not have the "right" to reinstall the operating system. It might be you have to leave the computer in its original condition.

If so thats another reason to not rent.

These days if you only use it for word processing and web surfing any computer from the last ten years would do as long as it strong enough to run windows xp. Then just buy a cheap ass single core and buy a copy of xp or go linux and you can do whatever you want with it.

Buyer beware for sure

[redwudz]

One thing to remember is if it has a web cam, it also likely has a microphone. Maybe a second piece of tape? Problem is, kids use those webcams all the time and turning off the laptop or blocking the video or audio isn't really a good alternative.

But I think a few pointed questions to the school board or school administration, in the case of loaned student computers, would be the place to start. If they admit to it, you've got them. If they don't know that those laptops are 'bugged' and they turn out to be, you've still got them. I bet they will at least check up on it to save themselves some major embarrassment and legal costs.

I understood that this practice started because of the high theft rate of student laptops, as a method to identify and go after the perpetrators. Unfortunately, nobody apparently was watching the 'watchers' and the possibility of invasion of privacy or abuse is all too easy. Makes you wonder if some corporate laptops might have the same types of programs.

EDIT: My Asus Eee Netbook has a webcam 'and' a LED indicator light when it's on. The Asus laptop I'm using at the moment has no indicator for it's webcam. I bought it refurbished and didn't notice the webcam lens. I spotted that feature in a review. The webcam software wasn't installed, so I did install it. Then I decided to tape the lens.