Biometrics in schools ignite debate about privacy versus security

Does biometric tech belong in schools? Some say no, the data privacy risks are too high. Others say yes, to offer students the maximum protection against genuine threats.

The New York Senate has passed a bill banning the use of biometric identifying technology in schools, with a few exceptions for employees. The legislation dictates that “public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, including charter schools, shall be prohibited from purchasing or utilizing biometric identifying technology for any purpose, including school security.”

Exceptions are for “fingerprint identification of prospective school employees where utilized for the purpose of compliance with a provision of the education law” and “to exclusively identify employees that have consented in writing to the use of such technology.”

Colorado amends law to allow facial analysis for curriculum purposes

Lawmakers in Colorado are looking at a similar proposal. Chalkbeat Colorado says legislators want to extend a statewide prohibition on facial recognition technology in schools, while also “placing some guardrails on its use in districts where the technology has been allowed to be used.”

Senate Bill 143 extends the prohibition and creates new exceptions for contracts that are in effect on the date the bill becomes law; “for a product, device, or software application that allows for analysis of facial features for educational purposes in conjunction with curricula,” and for “a product, device, or software application that allows for the analysis of facial features to identify a person who has made a significant threat against a school or the occupants of a school, to identify a missing student when there is a reasonable belief that the student is still on school grounds, or to identify an individual who has been ordered by the court to stay off school district property.”

Democratic Rep. Lindsey Daugherty says the state is “trying to find the balance between letting them use the technology, but also protecting students’ biometric data.”

The bill narrowly passed the Senate Education Committee by 4-3 in a vote this week.

Marion County expands ROC pilot FRT program to all county schools

In Marion County, West Virginia, school officials are firmly in the “schools keep biometrics safe” category. WDTV reports that all schools in the county will be equipped with facial recognition and weapons detection technology, following pilot runs.

Colorado-headquartered ROC has deployed biometrics for several school districts in West Virginia including the Marion County pilot, and also powers the county’s Smart Cities project to support law enforcement and first responders. Its ROC Watch system utilizes facial recognition, license plate recognition and suspicious object and weapons detection to alert school officials of potential threats in real time.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Colorado  |  facial recognition  |  legislation  |  New York  |  school security  |  schools  |  United States  |  West Virginia