FBI Dad's Misadventures With Spyware Exposed School Principal's Child Porn

nonprofiteer writes "This is a crazy story. An FBI agent put spyware on his kid's school-issued laptop in order to monitor his Internet use. Before returning the laptop to the school, he tried to wipe the program (SpectorSoft's eBlaster) by having FBI agents scrub the computer and by taking it to a computer repair shop to be re-imaged. It somehow survived and began sending him reports a week later about child porn searches. He winds up busting the school principal for child porn despite never getting a warrant, subpoena, etc. The case was a gift-wrapped present, thanks to spyware. A judge says the principal has no 4th Amendment protection because 1. FBI dad originally installed spyware as a private citizen not an officer and 2. he had no reasonable expectation of privacy on a computer he didn't own/obtained by fraud."

Re:FBI and Spyware

[TWX]

Of course it wasn't Flame!

You want a flame, you stupid dirtbag?!

Seth McFarlane? Is that you?

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

So let me guess: the guys's name is Stan, the kid's name is Steve and the principal is called Brian?

Re:This is probably common

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

I hear 90% of all statistics are made up.

Re:I'm still trying to wrap my brain around...

[Sparticus789]

This has restored my faith in the capabilities of the FBI /sarcasm

Re:Fraud?

[gstoddart]

Finally, these morons don't know about DBAN???

No, but they seem to be experts at DBAG. :-P

Re:This is probably common

[gstoddart]

I hear 90% of all statistics are made up.

Only about 70% of the time.

Re:This is probably common

[Phroggy]

I hear 90% of all statistics are made up.

Only about 70% of the time.

"Don't believe everything you read on the Internet." - Abraham Lincoln

This just in:

[Culture20]

All newly sold computers in the United States will actually be pre-owned by FBI agents' family members. Full story at eleven.