Preventing Computer Theft

Several school districts are lending out computers to their students. Some of the schools decided to use the laptops’ webcams to prevent thievery. They can use the webcam to take photographs of the person using the computer. This seems like a wise idea until you think of the ways that school administrators could abuse the webcams. A school district in Philadelphia is being accused of using a webcam to spy on students while they were getting dressed. This situation could have been avoided by both sides. Students using borrowed computers should only use them when they are not in a potentially embarrassing situation. School districts have the right to prevent thievery of their laptops, but they should warn students before they remotely turn on the camera. Even better, the webcam should remain off until the computer is reported as stolen.