A school in the US caught using webcams on laptop computers to spy on its students has agreed to pay damages in a settlement of a civil lawsuit brought against the school as a result of the uproar surrounding the ‘spycams.’
Philadelphia’s Lower Merion School District has agreed to pay damages for using LanRev tracking software to covertly photograph students from laptop computer cameras.
One of the students, Blake Robins will get $175,000, another Jalil Hassan will get $10,000 and their lawyers get the best deal of all, with a cool $425,000 for the case.
The school board President, David Ebby has said that the school’s insurers had already forked out $1.2 million for the case costs.
"Although we would have valued the opportunity to finally share an important, untold story in the courtroom, we recognise that in this case, a lengthy, costly trial would benefit no one. It would have been an unfair distraction for our students and staff and it would have cost taxpayers additional dollars that are better devoted to education." Ebby said of the deal.
He also said he didn’t want to put the students involved in the case into the high-pressure environment of a trial.
The school has admitted that through the 2,300 Macbooks which were issued to pupils, more than 50,000 photos were taken of children and their families and friends with no consent or without their knowledge.
Because there was no criminal intent found in the case, federal prosecutors have decided they will not press charges.
