From: kadie@cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie)
Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk
Subject: [comp.org.eff.talk] Query: Can Universities limit network access &/or 'spy` on users?
Date: 12 Nov 92 14:54:22 GMT
Followup-To: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk,comp.org.eff.talk
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL

[A repost - Carl]

From: michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Query: Can Universities limit network access &/or 'spy` on users?
Date: 2 Nov 92 04:10:52 GMT

I'm sorry if the subject of this posting seems confusing.  I couldn't think 
of anything better.

I am writting this in hopes of finding out the legality of some thing my
university is doing.  This came about recently when some talks were begun
on how to improve access to networks.

Basically the situation is this:  We have a department on campus called 
"Academic Computer Center" which is in charge of the universities Vax.  This
Vax is the gateway on campus to BitNet and the Internet.  However, student
accounts on the machine cannot access networks.  Ie, 'ftp', 'telnet', 'rlogin',
'rsh', and Internet email are denied to these accounts.  If you get a `sponseredaccount' (ie you are doing work needing this stuff) you can access it.  In
my department (Comp Sci & Eng) we use Unix workstations and do not restrict
access to networking.  Also the student chapter of the ACM has been running
a BBS that gives access to some networking stuff and Usenet access.  This was
done because ACC was not providing it.

The reason I had heard for ACC not giving networking access was that it would
put too much strain on the Vax, despite the fact that all the other departments
with machines (like mine) are using the vax for the network gateway.

We recently had some interviews to improve network access and all the students
interviewed (5 out of 14000, I was one) urged that all students be given Vax
accounts with full network access, just like at other schools.  We then started
discussing this on our local usenet group.  A member of ACC stated there that
the reason students are denied network access is because they use it for 
'frivolous' activies as opposed to 'research' uses.  Apparently they feared
the state would take network access away because some students supposedly are
abusing it.

What infuriates me is HOW WOULD THEY KNOW HOW PEOPLE ARE USING THIS STUFF?  
The only why I see that they would know is if they are spying on student 
activties, ie reading their mail to see if its serious or not, etc.  Frankly
this is totally unethical, but is it illegal?  I would think users would have
some right to privacy in their accounts from the sysadms spying on them.

What I would like to know is if this is indeed illegal.  Frankly if it's not
it should be.

Thanks for you time.
-- 
<<                                                               >>
<< Michael R. Brown    CS Graduate Student-Florida Atlantic Univ >>
<< Internet: michaelb@sol.cse.fau.edu                            >>
<< BitNet: m_brown@fauvax                                        >>
-- 
Carl Kadie -- kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk