Did you know that cameras are everywhere? They’re on bus stops, in businesses, and even on our doorbells. And we all have one in our pocket too – our cellphones, which also track our location and send information to advertisers about our browsing habits.
In this age of digital tracking and oversharing on social media, privacy may seem like an outdated concept. But last week, privacy scored a victory when New York state banned the use of facial recognition technology in schools. The decision came after a report by the state Office of Information Technology Services concluded that the risks of using biometrics in schools outweigh the potential benefits. And they’re right – using face scans for school security is not effective and raises numerous concerns.
A few years ago, schools in Lockport, Niagara County, used funding from the Smart Schools Bond Act to install a facial recognition system. However, after parents expressed concerns and the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit, the state implemented a moratorium to further study the technology.
Lockport claimed that their goal with facial recognition was to prevent school shootings by quickly identifying potential threats on campus. While this objective is important, facial recognition is not the right tool for the job. The system would already need to “know” the face of a likely shooter and identify them as a threat, which is not feasible in many situations, including when a current student brings a weapon to school.
What about searching for a rifle? These systems are not effective at that either and often produce false hits on innocent objects like brooms.
Furthermore, facial recognition technology struggles to accurately identify nonwhite individuals, raising concerns about bias and fairness. And then there are the privacy issues. How will the data be used? Will school officials use the data logs to investigate misbehavior? Who will have access to the dataset? Could it be given to the police or immigration authorities? How long will the data be stored, and how will it be protected from leaks or hackers?
We’re relieved that the state Education Department considered all these uncertainties and concluded that using this technology in schools is not worth it. However, it’s important to keep these questions in mind because the state did approve the use of another biometric technology, digital fingerprinting, with parental input. Some schools use this technology to allow kids to purchase lunch or check out library books with a simple touch.
Before schools start collecting children’s fingerprints, the same privacy concerns must be addressed. How securely and for how long will the data be stored? And who, potentially including law enforcement, will have access to it?
Communities should have the opportunity to voice their opinions and establish boundaries before schools collect any biometric data from children. Normalizing surveillance erodes important rights such as autonomy and privacy. As the saying goes, sacrificing liberty for temporary safety is a dangerous trade-off.
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