For the past couple of years, school districts statewide have begun handing out school-owned computers for at-home use by students. These devices carry virtually no privacy protections. Some schools have even informed children the computers are subject to monitoring at any time, even by remote access while the child is at home. The ACLU is a stron supporter of this legislation which would clarify that the devices may only be searched when there is reasonable suspicion to believe the child has engaged in misconduct, prohibit remote access except in limited circumstances, and allow parents to opt their child out of such programs entirely.
In June, the ACLU published a report on our findings regarding the policies of the 1-1 programs -- in which a a private vendor provides free laptops or tablet computers for the school year that students can use at home -- throughout the state, highlighting the need for this legislation. However, no further action was taken on this legislation.
