Should Facial Recognition Cameras Be In Schools?

[DamianTV]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/18/06...-be-in-schools

Facial recognition technology is making its way into schools, raising privacy concerns among parents and officials. The New York Civil Liberties Union issued a report on the matter that focuses on one public school district in particular: Western New York's Lockport School District. "News reports indicate the district plans to have the invasive and error-prone technology installed by next school year," reports NYCLU. The Union sent a letter (PDF) to the New York State Education Department urging it to consider students' and teachers' privacy in reviewing the use of surveillance technology by school districts. They also "sent a freedom of information request to the district seeking details of how and where the technology will be used as well as who will have access to the sensitive data that gets collected."

The report highlights some of the concerns/negatives of such a system. For starters, it costs millions of dollars (Lockport spent almost $4 million), which could be used for things like Wi-Fi, new computers, or 3D printers. It has the "potential to turn every step a student takes into evidence of a crime." The databases could include those used for immigration enforcement, making parents of immigrant students afraid to send their children to school for fear that they or their children could end up on ICE's radar. Last but not least, since facial recognition is notoriously inaccurate, "innocent students are likely to be misidentified and punished for things they didn't do."

Of course, it isn't all bad. Proponents of the system say it can be used to alert officials to whenever sex offenders, suspended students, fired employees, suspected gang members, or anyone else placed on a school's "blacklist" enters the premises. Do you think facial recognition cameras belong in schools?

I will let everyone else reply before posting an opinion.

Also, yes, in the Family, Parenting, and Education thread because Education.

[alivecream]

"The report highlights some of the concerns/negatives of such a system. For starters, it costs millions of dollars (Lockport spent almost $4 million), which could be used for things like Wi-Fi, new computers, or 3D printers. It has the "potential to turn every step a student takes into evidence of a crime." The databases could include those used for immigration enforcement, making parents of immigrant students afraid to send their children to school for fear that they or their children could end up on ICE's radar. Last but not least, since facial recognition is notoriously inaccurate, "innocent students are likely to be misidentified and punished for things they didn't do."

No, because of the reasons stated above.

[Anti Federalist]

Should Facial Recognition...?

No.

[CaptUSA]

Most private schools know who is coming and going - no need for this. I'm sure the parents would rather have their funds spent in ways that improve the education of their children.


This is only a concern at a government school - and if you still send your kids there, I have no sympathy for you. You take whatever measures the State prison systems dictates.

[brushfire]

I'm trying to understand the benefit. Is there an influx of sex offenders attending our schools?

Seems like a costly ruse, that will be used to start another giant database.

[DamianTV]

I'm trying to understand the benefit. Is there an influx of sex offenders attending our schools?

Seems like a costly ruse, that will be used to start another giant database.

Exactly.

The people that benefit, and referring to Public Schools, not Charter Schools, are the people at the top who get paid when your kid goes to their school. They dont get paid of your kid doesnt attend their class. It also exactly follows what John Taylor Gatto (vid at link) said about Public Schools, where the Function of Schools is to first teach Fixed Habits of Reaction to authority, where, the kid learns they are always being watched, and the actual lesson is Obedience. What child will ever choose to disobey Stupid Orders if they have a sense that they are always being watched? Second is the Diagnostic Function, which is where constant surveillance comes into play, where every action and behavior of the child is logged and recorded, and used to mathematically determine their likely destination of life, to push them toward that destination, and no further. As Gatto said, what is achieved in schools is to create a mental framework that is carried within the mind of the child through out their entire life by retarding their maturity which causes them to become dependent on authority. It is much easier to manage a large group of childlike adults than it is to demand adherence to stupid orders from a small group of independent self reliant thinkers, thus solving the great problem of constant supervision. Schools and Total Surveillance indoctrinate the minds of the young to prevent them from becoming the types of people who produce for themselves, but not the real owners of this country.

[AngelaKey]

Surely YES! 21th century outside)

[DamianTV]

Surely YES! 21th century outside)

What?

[PursuePeace]

Hell no.

[Murray N Rothbard]

As with just about every technological supposed "threat to privacy," it all depends on whether it is a government vs private institution using it..

If they wanted to use them in a private school my children are attending, I'd be all for it. Keeps kids safe. Don't be anti-technology, be anti-government.

[DamianTV]

As with just about every technological supposed "threat to privacy," it all depends on whether it is a government vs private institution using it..

If they wanted to use them in a private school my children are attending, I'd be all for it. Keeps kids safe. Don't be anti-technology, be anti-government.

True.

Not all technology needs to be associated directly with Invasion of Privacy. It is not the Tech itself, but the way that it is used. In the 90's, you used to be able to turn on a computer and had some actual privacy left. If you start up solitaire or any other game, those games did not phone home to tell everyone everything about every habit online. Today, the way that technology is used has become drastically different. Most technology now is used with the sole intent of surveillance, at least in regards to "connectivity" and internet. There is a lot of tech that still doesnt phone home. Buying a new power tool that has achieved real improvements since the invasion of privacy started still dont phone home, at least not yet. Should it ever reach the point that your new DeWalt Hand Sander will not function by design unless you put in your Facebook login and password, thats the time to know they have won.

Privacy, when it comes to its application by technology, should be just as protected from Corporations as from Govt misuse. We have the penumbra Right to Privacy for a reason, a reason that sadly it seems, is in direct conflict with the agenda of Corporations.

So, be Anti Govt? What happens when your Govt is Fascist? Fascist meaning that the Govt is controlled by Corporations, not We the People. So if your Govt is controlled by Corporations, being Anti Govt needs to also include being Anti Corporate, at least the ones that exert undue influence over Govt.