Christie signs bill to prevent N.J. schools from spying with school-issued laptops
Gov. Chris Christie has signed a measure intended to prevent New Jersey school districts from violating students’ privacy rights by tracking them through school-issued laptops.
Districts that provide students with laptops, cell phones or other electronic devices will now have to provide written notification that the device may track them. The notification also must include a statement that the school won’t violate the student’s privacy rights.
Christie signed the bill Monday. It takes effect July 1.
The bill was introduced after a Philadelphia-area school district came under fire in 2010. The district admitted it captured thousands of webcam photographs and screen shots from student laptops in a misguided effort to locate missing computers.
A district review found its technology staff captured at least 56,000 images though a remote tracking program.
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