Lan School, is it legal?
2018 Chromebook cases.
March 26, 2019
Lanschool, you may only know it as a strange thing on your Chromebook. You try to close it, but it just pops back up. Lanschool was introduced during the 2017-2018 school year. Lanschool is as computer software that allows teachers and administrators to watch students’ screens.
Lanschool can force students to read stuff or answer questions prompted by the teacher. Lanschool will create a question that pops up and you must answer it to make it go away. Parker Foley, a 7th grader at West, said: “It’s good for the teachers, but I know some kids don’t like it but I don’t have a problem with it…in Mrs. Kozler class, she uses it [to] ask a question about the lesson.” Parker claims, “It’s good for the teachers to see what students are doing on their Chromebooks, if they’re doing something their not supposed to be.”
Yet some teachers don’t use Lanschool. Mrs. Horvath, seventh grade ELA teacher, said, “I don’t know how to use Lanschool. I would like to use it though.”
Our concern as students is that Lanschool could be considered spyware or a violation of students’ privacy. We contacted the Director of Integrated Technology Systems for Plymouth-Canton, Mark Salzer, and he stated, “While the district does reference both monitoring and monitoring software in the Chromebook User Agreement, LanSchool is not mentioned by name.” Salzer also noted, “There is no expectation of privacy for any use of the Device [Chromebooks]. P-CCS may monitor any use of the Device, but does not guarantee that any use will be monitored.” This means that teachers, principals, and other people in the district are allowed to see what you are doing on your Chromebook.
Lanschool is not a violation of students’ rights because students’ don’t seem to have privacy rights when using school devices. Be careful about what you are using your Chromebook for.
Evan • Mar 3, 2023 at 12:14 pm
i just want to play my gamey games and they block my screen.
Emilio • Feb 15, 2023 at 2:18 pm
come on i cant even watch youtube videos at HOME
this_should_be_illegal • Mar 31, 2022 at 10:27 am
i have it ask me to share my screen while im at my house
I hate my life • Jan 11, 2022 at 10:31 am
I think LanSchool is ABSOLUTE SPYWARE and should be OUTLAWED!!!
I hate my life • Jan 11, 2022 at 10:30 am
LANSCHOOL SHOULD NOT EXIST, IF TEACHERS NEED TO SEE OUR SCREEN THEN THEY CAN WALK A COUPLE OF STEPS!!!
Rose • May 5, 2023 at 10:42 am
So you can close it when they walk close by, then bring your games or whatever back up when they leave?
Nah. It isn’t YOUR computer. It’s a school computer. It’s a tool for work, not for games. Play games at home, on your own computer.
Anonymous • Oct 19, 2021 at 2:20 pm
Internet is bad
anonymous • Sep 28, 2021 at 12:20 pm
This should be illegal…
anonymous • Sep 28, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Should be illegal…
dababy • May 18, 2021 at 2:28 pm
LANSCHOOL SHOULD NOT EXIST, IF TEACHERS NEED TO SEE OUR SCREEN THEN THEY CAN WALK A COUPLE STEPS!!!
Sobie06 • May 18, 2021 at 2:05 pm
i dont know about illegal. it does see what your doing but its the school districts hardware. as long as they dont force you to put it on your own personal devices then i dont see a problem with it. of course if it will collect personal data thats a problem but then why are you personal things on a school chromebook? if it can see through your camera/mic without your permission then i take everything back but as long as its not personal hardware they can add any software they want and see what your doing with there hardware that they let you borrow.
Not sure. • May 11, 2021 at 8:57 am
LanSchool allows teachers to see your screen without your permission whatsoever. While the school Chromebook may belong to school, this application can also leak onto your personal computer. You just have to be using the right WIFI, and Google account.
It allows teachers to push out links and make your screen white. While they might see this as a positive classroom tool, it’s kind of sad how you’re forced to read something. It’s not their personal computer, it’s yours. You cannot close the LanSchool application on a Chromebook.
From personal experience, I can say it’s fishy. My Google account was on my mom’s phone, and she got a virus warning. I got one too, and my computer still says it’s infected. LanSchool is spyware marketed towards schools, because many people are complaining about teachers using this tool at home. Home!
It’s also Stoneware. That collects personal information, then gives it to third party sites.
Matthew • Jan 8, 2023 at 11:49 am
this is exactly how it ended up on my personal computer. How do I get it off??
Okwaho • Apr 13, 2021 at 11:43 am
i find it annoying when they are watching my screen when im at home using a home device when not even at school not connected to school internet and the only thing connecting it is using my school email/account and it manages to block sites such as cool math still even when at home
carter • Mar 26, 2021 at 8:37 am
it is illegal it is a violation of students right they use it to give after school detention that is my point it should be outlawed
Euan • Mar 10, 2021 at 2:41 pm
lanschool i think is illegal it clearly states in the code of conduct” All students will have district-supervised access to the Internet through the classroom, media center, or computer lab ” and i go to school at home witch is not on the school internet nor in the classroom and the children’s online privacy protection act is mentioned in there but the main purpose of it is to place parents in control over what information is collected from their young children online. witch my parents never agreed to the lanschool as far as i know
User • Feb 17, 2021 at 7:40 pm
From reading others comments for how it makes sense for teachers and schools to use Lanschool and that it can be seen as spying on us. It has keylogging AND an option for the user that is using it (if the teacher has it on) to TAKE CONTROL of your keyboard and mouse, making you lost control. With that feature, a hacker can use that and mess everything up a student has or even change data or information, which is unsafe and a reason why it should be used with high security and protection to lessen the chances and risks for something harmful to happen.
RAndom • Feb 10, 2021 at 7:41 pm
I think that schools shouldn’t be in a school chromebook because as of right now my teacher can listen in when ever they want to. another teacher also said if we are logged in on our account on your PC they can access data like passwords and such to be taken
Mike Oxlong • Jan 24, 2021 at 8:20 am
Technically it is legal, but still very sketchy, since it can be used outside of school hours.
random • Nov 18, 2020 at 9:35 am
I am getting facts and articles about this app.. I am helping my friend expose the app and its spyware L
Elliot Beam • Oct 22, 2020 at 4:57 pm
Lanschool is a threat to society. No matter what they say lanschool is illegal. It breaks the law of private policy and the teacher is allowed to control your computer sometimes. When teachers have lanschool they have too much power. Lanschool should be banned to teachers and anyone who tries to download the app.
all powerful cheez it • Oct 22, 2020 at 2:10 pm
if there were shy students email them or get to know them because sitting in front of a computer will not suffice for social interaction.
the all powerful cheez it • Oct 22, 2020 at 2:08 pm
while it makes sense that they can see ur screens why do they need your passwords? are they logging into your accounts or haking them why else would they need your passwords?
Andrew • Oct 16, 2020 at 9:39 am
When I’m at my own computer at my house signed in as me, it still puts LanSchool on. I feel like LanSchool should be shut down. Also, they blocked most of the games I play at my house, too.
Jack • Sep 30, 2020 at 1:11 pm
This is really one of those things that’s in the grey area of laws. I do think being able to know what your students are doing is a good thing, but it should be “what application are they using” and “what website are they on” instead of “what does their entire screen look like at all times. I feel as though it is very easy for a wrong doer to use it to his advantage. It’s one of those “school apps” where everyone can just write a line of code and steal everyone’s data.
jackie • Sep 4, 2020 at 12:42 pm
lanschool is also a keylogger so they can track your passwords and other private things you do
Michael Wilson • Sep 4, 2020 at 10:48 am
My school is all about protecting our passwords. Well i have something to tell you lanschool will help people or kids to get our passwords.
Joshua T. • Mar 2, 2020 at 5:45 pm
LanSchool is terrible software that definitely violates students rights. For instance, if I am looking at my personal Google account, lanschool allows the teacher or admin to view keylogs, so in theory they can see passwords you never would want them to see. LanSchool is an outrage!
henry • Feb 24, 2020 at 2:58 pm
kill it with fire it is spyware and spys ond students and is definetly not secure
Lilian Silva • Feb 19, 2020 at 1:29 pm
If lanschool goes in the hands of a wrong person then they would invade student’s privacies. Lanschool and schools who use it should be sued
N/A • Feb 7, 2020 at 8:18 am
LAN School is probably the best example of normalized spyware.
Sure, teachers should be able to watch a students screen, however – LAN School fails to draw the line there. What does it need a keylogger for?
It allows personal information, such as passwords, to be compromised remotely. It doesn’t matter by who whether it be a teacher or administrator- it’s still an invasion of privacy that can and most likely will be exploited in the long run.
Really? • Jan 21, 2020 at 9:25 am
ReallY? No privacy rights when using school computers?
Tim Gillard-Stapleton • Oct 3, 2019 at 9:59 am
LanSchool is an enabler, allowing academic staff to show presentation(s) to the student screen, take questions from students (the shy ones). Which can be answered in individually to student via a chat program or with the class as discussion enabling two way student/teacher interaction . The software can to configured to disble or allow certain programs and/or websites to be use within the teaching enviroment i.e in class test with in a computer laboratory
Yes the the program can view student srceen, however it use within education enivorment is should be limited to ensure student are following tasks set by the academic staff. The the academic can control the device if help is required by the student.
So basically if you playing games or on social media when you meant to doing class work, you be found out and guilded back to task. So really 99.9% of students will not have issue.
strong spdier • Sep 5, 2019 at 2:32 pm
LanSchool is a bot. RIP csdecatur.net
Laurel • Aug 20, 2019 at 11:48 am
I think that Lanschool can be good, but sometimes I feel uncomfortable to know that teachers can watch me while I am working on a story or studying on my Chromebook.
My man Cheeze-it • May 14, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Well, Lanschool… I believe it is total spyware and should not be used to view what students are doing. My friend can access people’s screens with that application. He just has to log into a different account to use it.
tommie(the blue train) the commie • Apr 26, 2019 at 12:57 pm
UNO reverse card
Gabriel Follis • Apr 23, 2019 at 9:31 am
EVERYONE BRING YOUR OWN LAPTOP LIKE CELESTE (7th grade) THEN THEY CAN’T WATCH YOU
Josie F • Apr 23, 2019 at 8:19 am
On one hand, it does make sense to have Lanschool, because some students might be doing something else during class time, but I do feel a little invaded while using Google Docs. It just feels weird that basically someone could be watching me while I write my stories.
( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °) • Apr 18, 2019 at 12:51 pm
yeah… the government is spying on us right now… i know u can see this!!!
im going to find you someday… (fearsome muttering) ☭
hoi • Apr 18, 2019 at 12:44 pm
if lan school was illegal I’m sure that we wouldn’t have it.
Jacob Lang • Apr 12, 2019 at 12:59 pm
if teachers can see your screens who knows who can look
Alex Proctor • Mar 27, 2019 at 4:49 pm
I think LanSchool is ABSOLUTE SPYWARE and should be OUTLAWED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Btw, good article Garrett!