Is it standard procedure for companies to photograph people at home through company-owned laptops?
I can understand a keylogger on company-owned computers/laptops and recorded lines on company-owned phone lines. That's company property. My husband says they take screenshots where he works - pictures of what the employee is looking at onscreen - but I think he said the employees are notified. And, of course, businessowners keep cameras on their properties.
But, photographing what someone is doing at home through a webcam is different because they're on their own property. It's one thing to record their keystrokes and keep a record of the websites they visit because they're using a laptop owned by someone else. It's quite another issue when what they're doing at home - things that have nothing to do with company property - is being photographed and recorded.
Add to that: This story isn't even about a private company. It's about a public school and minors who are forced by law to attend school. The laptops were paid for with their parents' tax money. There are so many different issues here.
To me it's about contractual obligations and property ownership. They signed the contract. The property belongs to the school.
If evidence of criminal intent comes to light, trial and incarceration. If not, then not. Either way, if it was my District... First thing I'd do is stop letting kids take those resources home. Period.