La Jolla, CA asked in Civil Rights and Constitutional Law for California

Q: Privacy online school

Dear Lawyers,

I would like to respect my privacy and not let my school teachers look into my household // room. I'm extremely uncomfortable with the fact that people can look into my house whenever they want. I would like to know if there is a law in California protecting my rights.

1 Lawyer Answer
Louis George Fazzi
Louis George Fazzi
Answered
  • Civil Rights Lawyer
  • Jess Ranch, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: If you are using Zoom to log in for school, go to the settings in the Zoom application and choose a virtual background so the camera only shows you on screen and your immediate surroundings. Also make sure you are as close to the camera on your computer or tablet as you can be, so you fill the screen every time you log in.

Since schools have to participate online now, you should try to make sure that your camera on your computer is set up so that you do have at least some degree of privacy for yourself. Everyone has to deal with the same situation, and after you get used to the setup you will start to feel a little more comfortable, especially if you can set up your environment as seen from the camera's view so that you are close to your computer screen (if you can't set up a virtual background), which should minimize how much background is visible when you do log in.

Otherwise, everyone else is in the same situation, so it's up to you to set up your environment right, the way you want it so you can keep as much from being seen by the camera as possible. I also doubt that the teachers have much time to be examining the background of every student who logs in, so perhaps you might be a little sensitive to the intrusion. Just try to focus on your lessons and keep your mind occupied with that rather than worrying about who may have a view into your home. As I said, everyone is in the same boat, so try to make the best of it. You'll get nowhere, in my opinion, with a privacy suit under these circumstances.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.