this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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Privacy

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Hi. My school just started issuing devices last year, and they have this Lightspeed spyware on them. Last year I was able to remove it by booting into Linux from a flash drive and moving the files to a separate drive and then back at the end of the year. This year I have heard from sources that they have ways of detecting someone booting from Linux so I am hesitant to do that option. My only other idea is to buy an old laptop off eBay that looks like it and install Linux on it. I could probably get one for about 50€. Does anyone have any cheaper ideas?

Oh also talking to IT isn’t an option.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

trivialising a student's desire for privacy as being about playing videogames is a lot more ridiculous than anything the OP said.

maybe rethink your uncritical support for surveillance, and either organise with your coworkers to make your school's policies more respectful of its students, or find a less unethical job.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

uncritical support for surveillance

We are, by law, required to keep this information. However, unlike many other schools, we have a byod policy that allows students to use their own device to essentially bypass this 'surveillance'.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

pressing X to doubt that you only help keep information on students that you're required to by law.

and, something being legally required doesn't mean you need to enthusiastically support it in an online discussion.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

pressing X to doubt that you only help keep information on students that you’re required to by law.

If we were to store private information or data that falls outside the boundaries of the law, we would be subject to arrest for unlawfully retaining children's data. I want to emphasize to both you and OP that schools are legally obligated to store this information, and that I strongly advise against tampering with a device owned by the school.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

this just sounds even less believable: you're in a jursidiction where the amount of data you have to store on students is exactly specified, and you're liable to prosecution for storing any single piece of data less or more? I would appreciate extraordinary evidence for this extraordinary claim.

anyway, even if that's true, you could be using your knowledge to help privacy-conscious students like OP, instead of throwing a rulebook at them and casting aspersions about their motivations. I return to "reconsider your views, and the impact of your job".