Big Brother? Feds Order Schools to Monitor Kids Facebook Posts & Lunchtime Chatter

The Blaze ^ | 3/16/2011 | Jonathon M. Seidl

[Dr. Scarpetta]

If they like, but parents should suspend access to Facebook, computers, cell phones, car, dates, friends, etc... as needed. If you're threatening people on fb, you probably need more intervention from parents than simply a suspended account.

A lot of parents don't seem to care about monitoring their kids, and they're probably democrats.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

No, YOU amaze me. Do you even go on Facebook to monitor your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews?

If FB handled their website like Free Republic does, that would be the end of it. Michelle, Barack, and other democrats would have nothing to say. It’s not a govt issue. It’s a FB issue AND a parental issue.

Some parents don’t care what they’re kids are doing and don’t even know they’re making threats on FB.

When people report abuse on Face Book, NOTHING is done. When people report abuse on Free Republic, something is done.

[redgolum]

Bit late for a tipping point.

Schools of today resemble a prison, and the students inmates. The assumption is the thoughts of the students belong to the state. Anyone who is guilty of a thoughtcrime will be punished.

I do wonder how they can monitor the Facebook posts without being a “friend” to the kid.

[redgolum]

Free speech doesn’t exist then? Sorry, FB is in a legal pickle. If they do that, then at what level would it stop? Would an atheist be able to get Christian posters kicked off because hell threatens them?

[Forgotten Amendments]

When will the government install TV monitors in every room of your house?

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/school-accused-of-using-webcam-to-photograph-student-at-home/

[madison10]

How does Facebook monitor such threats without monitoring all communication?

It doesn't. Which is what they want---control, control, control.

[Clintonfatigued]

Now the students get an extra sentence: physical prisons during the day and virtual prisons (government surveillance) at night.

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

Don’t try to highjack the thread.’that is not what the article is about.

Again, wake the hell up.

[Mariner]

Clearly unconstitutional.

Clearly.

In fact, it's unconstitutional for the Feds to order a local school or district to even monitor these activities.

These folks are headed to court.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

There is definitely a place for schools to discipline students if students are threatening other school kids via Facebook, especially if its done on school time. The monitoring is creepy. My suggestion would be don't let kids use Facebook or other social media sites at all during school time, even during recess or lunch. And if there is a threat made after school hours, the target should bring it to the school's attention but there should be no monitoring.

[greatplains]

Guess what? It’s MY job to monitor what my kids are putting on Facebook. If they wouldn’t “friend” me so I could do so, then the computer at home goes away (Yes, they can use someone else’s, but it’s a lot less convenient and I could still tell if they had a Facebook account). The point is, MY kids, MY responsibility, not Big Brother’s.

[cycjec]

The real question is whether or not the Department of
Education is looking for some certain number of cases
to pursue.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The Lives of Others

[MarMema]

I love that so much Laz that I put it as background on my computer. Thank you for sharing.

[Sopater]

A lot of parents don't seem to care about monitoring their kids, and they're probably democrats.

Yeah, there's a real good reason to "step in". /sarc

[ozark hilljilly]

Ah! As one delves further into the story, we see it is all tied in to the Queer Agenda...so that makes it even more double plus special!

[surfer]

I meant tipping point overall in regard to the country finally seriously pushing back. We pulled our kids out of public school years ago.

[Gordon Greene]

“How does Facebook monitor such threats without monitoring all communication?”

It’s called “moderating”. They do it right here on FR. People who sign up on FB sign up of their own volition so if their communications are monitored they could easily cancel their membership if they liked. Where the problem comes in is when the Government monitors communications on a non-Government site. Anyone who thinks the things they post on FB, FR or any other site on the internet are private are either ignorant or new.

[RoseyT]

Close the accounts of people making threats.

It's very easy to block the person so they have no interaction with them on FB.