Some Thoughts and Observations
The Cybertraps of Dobbs. At 10:10 a.m. on Friday, June 24, 2022, a 6-3 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court flatly and unequivocally overturned Roe v. Wade in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Regardless of your personal feelings regarding the Court's decision, one thing is clear: We are about to enter a period of dramatic and contentious legal battles over all aspects of maternal health, from menstruation to birth.
What few fully appreciate, however, is the extent to which digital communication technology will play a role in those battles. In the 49 years since Roe was decided, we have eagerly adopted and helped to feed a massive electronic surveillance infrastructure that relentlessly compiles staggering amounts of data about our activities and behaviors. That information can be used for benign, even helpful purposes, like suggesting which movie you should watch next; only the hopelessly naïve would trust that it won't be used for malign or coercive reasons.
Dobbs does not directly involve schools nor is it explicitly a case that deals with digital communication technology. But given the fact that almost 75% of teachers in the United States are women and given the pervasiveness of electronic communication technology, Dobbs and the world it ushers in will necessarily create the risk of significant cybertraps for educators and administrators. The Cybertraps Podcast will be doing an episode on this shortly but in the meantime, here are a few preliminary things to consider.
- Your Social Media
As with any contentious political issue, there is the risk that an intemperate or controversial social media post will damage or even end your career. It is critically important to think carefully before you post on social media; consider the tone of your draft post, your audience, and the community in which you work.
- Your Personal Data
In my 2017 book, Cybertraps for Expecting Moms & Dads, I discussed the privacy implications of apps used to track fertility and periods. This information is extremely valuable, particularly to companies that cater to the multi-billion-dollar pregnancy and newborn markets. But now, with state legislators proposing (or passing) bills to pay bounties to snooping neighbors or to criminalize interstate travel for abortions (probably unconstitutional but let's not forget Dred Scott), the data collected by pregnancy apps could land you in jail in some states. The same is true for any app or device that collects and stores location data, or messages that you've exchanged with a spouse, your kids, a doctor, or even a sympathetic friend. It has never been more critical to think about what data you are putting out in the world and how officials in your state might use it.
- Your Interactions with Students
In February, Texas passed a law authorizing individuals to sue anyone (for a penalty of at least $10,000) who assists a woman in obtaining an abortion. That creates a significant potential cybertrap for Texas educators (and anyone who lives in the many states considering similar legislation). Those educators will need to be particularly careful about their digital interactions with students; any text message, for instance, that appears to be aiding or abetting a pregnant student in ending her pregnancy could be used in a vigilante lawsuit.
There is much more to say about all of this and unfortunately, I'm sure specific examples will arise in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, every educator should think long and hard about the apps and devices they use. Less suddenly became a lot more.
Recommended Reading. In 2008, Beacon Press published my book, The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme Court. My concluding paragraph has aged well:
Although the Religious Right may still be short of its goal of radically reversing Roe and the other Warren Court decisions it despises, it is nonetheless absolutely clear that after thirty years of activism, the Right has succeeded in changing the conversation at the Court. Increasingly, the question is just how much of the right to abortion will survive the Roberts Court. If Christian Right advocates like Jay Seculow and Michael Farris continue to play a prominent role in the selection of Supreme Court nominees, other fundamental concepts such as the right to privacy and the separation of church and state itself could be among the movement's next victims.
Click on the link above or the cover below to order your copy. A central theme of this book and my subsequent work, American Privacy: The 400-Year History of Our Most Contest Right (2009), is that Roe v. Wade was first and foremost a privacy case, one of a line of cases reaching back to Griswold v. Connecticut, in which the Court held that a married woman had a right to discuss and obtain birth control from her physician. It is a clear that several current justices (possibly a majority) are willing to reconsider that decision. The potential ramifications are profound.

The Cybertraps Podcast: Week of June 20, 2022

The Cybertraps Podcast is on hiatus until Monday, July 11, 2022, when we will resume our regular Monday broadcasting schedule. You can listen to any of the Podcast's 130 episodes by visiting Cybertraps.com, Apple Podcasts, or your podcast platform of choice.
We welcome show topic and guest suggestions. Please contact me at FSLane3@cybertraps.com to pass along any ideas.
Noteworthy C4E Headlines for the Week of June 20, 2022
26 June 2022
US / National
- ‘How Are You Feeling Today?’ More Teachers Use Tech to Check Emotional Pulse of Students
- Keywords: #EdTech #psychology #EmotionalHealth #privacy
25 June 2022
India
- Impact of Technology on our Education System
- Keywords: #EdTech #RemoteLearning #technology
US_North Carolina
- Guilford County Schools testing touchless scanners to improve security
- Keywords: #scanners #privacy #SchoolSecurity
US_Pennsylvania
- Track Coach Recorded Students Having Sex and ‘Running Around the House Naked’: State Police
- Keywords: #ElectronicSexualAssault #voyeurism #CSAM #production #possession #distribution #SocialMedia #Snapchat
24 June 2022
Canada
- Ontario court rules on teachers’ digital communications being intercepted by principal
- Keywords: #ElectronicNotes #privacy #laptop #FailureToLock #snooping #SearchAndSeizure
US / National
- What the ‘Roe v. Wade’ Reversal Means for Educators, Schools, and Students
- Keywords: #law #politics #SocialMedia #privacy #FirstAmendment
US / National
- Schools are prime targets for cyberattacks: Here’s what can be done to protect them
- Keywords: #cybersecurity #hacking #ransomware #phishing #privacy #DataTheft
US / National
- Student Teachers Are Learning Outdated Tech in Prep Programs
- Keywords: #EdTech #TeacherPrep
US / National
- How to Move From Bad to Good Tech Use in Schools: What It Will Take
- Keywords: #EdTech #policies #RemoteLearning #ISTE #conference
US_Missouri
- Citing bullying, a Springfield area district bans cell phones, smartwatches
- Keywords: #policies #cyberbullying #videos #smartphones #smartwatches #cheating
US_North Carolina
- Erwin High teacher charged after alleged sexual abuse of a student, police say
- Keywords: #SexualAssault #solicitation #SocialMedia #Snapchat #photos #videos
23 June 2022
India / Global
- How online education during the ongoing pandemic changed the behaviour of students
- Keywords: #pandemic #RemoteLearning #behavior #smartphones #DigitalAddiction #distraction
US / National
- Whether We Say It or Not, Our Culture Provides Cover for Groomers
- Keywords: #grooming #solicitation #SexualAssault #videos #photos
US_Florida
- Stray F Word and 14 Seconds of TikTok End Flagler Teacher Abbey Cooke’s Storied 13-Year Career
- Keywords: #SocialMedia #TikTok #video #indecency
US_Pennsylvania
- Former Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Teacher and NY Accomplice Plead Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses
- Keywords: #CSAM #solicitation #sexploitation #photos #videos #production #distribution #possession
22 June 2022
England
- Sacked teacher called pupils 'little s***' and 'idiot' then vented about student on Facebook
- Keywords: #SocialMedia #Facebook #bullying
England / National
- Third of schools lack cybersecurity policies, suggests survey
- Keywords: #cybersecurity #policies
US_Georgia
- Former teacher sentenced to prison term for attempted relationship with student
- Keywords: #solicitation #sexting
US_Hawaii
- Hawaii teacher charged with distributing child pornography
- Keywords: #SexualAssault #CSAM #videos #production #distribution #possession
US_Illinois
- Kankakee School Board explores issues communicating district news
- Keywords: #website #SocialMedia #transparency #communication
US_North Carolina
- Former teacher and coach Jame Stehlin Jr pleads guilty to obscene matter to a minor charges
- Keywords: #SocialMedia #solicitation #obscene #photos #Facebook #FacebookMessenger #Snapchat #messaging #sexting
US_Oregon
- Police: Salem teen posed as teacher, sent ‘sexually explicit’ images to student
- Keywords: #sexting #Snapchat #IdentityTheft #FalseAllegations
US_Pennsylvania
- Local family accuses teacher of ruining top student’s graduation with social media post
- Keywords: #SocialMedia #Facebook #harassment
US_Rhode Island
- Rhode Island passes legislation preventing teachers from having sexual relationships with students
- Keywords: #legislation #SexualAssault
21 June 2022
US / National
- Ex-Teacher’s Mission: Making Sure Ed Tech Really Works in the Classroom
- Keywords: #EdTech #design #testing #certification
US / National
- For schools, accepting student mobile phone use may be a better approach than banning them
- Keywords: #smartphones #policies #parenting #distraction #engagement
US_California
- After racist videos circulate at a Roseville high school, parents call for honest conversation about the N-word
- Keywords: #racism #videos #Snapchat #FirstAmendment #FailureToIntervene
US_Minnesota
- Ex-Proctor teacher, coach given 4-year sentence for molesting former student
- Keywords: #SexualAssault #sexting #DigitalInvestigation #threats
US_Pennsylvania
- Williamsport Area principal accused of indecent assault on former student
- Keywords: #SexualAssault #solicitation #texting #Facetime
US_Washington
- Former Bellevue, Washington, teacher sentenced to 20 years in prison for production and possession of images of child sexual abuse
- Keywords: #CSAM #production #distribution #possession
US_Wisconsin
- Roncalli Middle School teacher accused of taking photos of girls at the beach in Sheboygan is charged with disorderly conduct
- Keywords: #voyeurism #photos #creepshots #upskirt
20 June 2022
US / National
- School Boards Are Becoming the Fiercest Battlefront for the Culture Wars
- Keywords: #SchoolBoards #CultureWars #censorship #politics
US_New York
- Westchester school under fire after photos surface of students with special needs using bathroom
- Keywords: #cyberbullying #SocialMedia #photos #smartphones #litigation
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