Online Colleges Could Spy On Students - By Law
Thanks to a new bill in congress one small paragraph would allow distance education colleges and universities to install spy cameras into student’s homes. Of course none of our representatives are objecting to it. Think of the future when almost all education is done from home. George Orwell must be rolling over in his grave.
Tucked away in a 1,200-page bill now in Congress is a small paragraph that could lead distance-education institutions to require spy cameras in their students’ homes…
...The paragraph is actually about clamping down on cheating. It says that an institution that offers an online program must prove that an enrolled student is the same person who does the work…
...But some college officials are wary of the technologies, noting that they are run by third-party vendors that may not safeguard students’ privacy. Among the information the vendors collect are students’ fingerprints, and possibly even images from inside their homes.
“This is taking a step into a student’s private life,” said Rhonda M. Epper, co-executive director of Colorado Community Colleges Online. “I don’t know if we want to extend our presence that far."…