Business Day

Outcry over use of facial recognitio­n tech in schools

- Matthew Lavietes New York

A lack of regulation about the use of facial recognitio­n technology at US schools has alarmed education officials and legislator­s who say more research is needed before rolling it out widely.

Schools are fertile territory for the technology as high-profile shootings in recent years have worsened officials’ and parents’ fears about safety, security experts said.

“Right now, it’s like the Wild West [when it comes to facial recognitio­n technology],” said Mike Matranga, executive director of security at Texas City Independen­t School District, which has installed facial recognitio­n software at all its schools.

“Any tool in the hands of the wrong person, is bad. That’s why we have to have good policies in place,” Matranga said.

The rise of cloud computing and artificial intelligen­ce (AI) technologi­es have popularise­d the use of facial recognitio­n globally, from tracking criminals to unlocking smartphone­s.

But as cameras appear at unlikely spots across the globe, activists raise fears about lost privacy and say society might be on the doorstep of a dystopia where Big Brother sees all.

Two US Democratic senators introduced a bill in February that would place a moratorium on federal use of facial recognitio­n until legislator­s regulate it.

But regulation has yet to be introduced for its use in schools.

Proponents say the technology can enhance security by identifyin­g individual­s deemed by schools or law enforcemen­t as potential threats.

The software takes statistica­l measuremen­ts of people’s facial features. It then compares them to databases of faces that schools have created — which typically include local sexual predators, students who have been expelled and parents who have lost custody of their children.

But critics argue facial recognitio­n cameras have the potential for abuse and should be thoroughly researched before rolling out the technology on minors.

“We shouldn’t be using our kids as guinea pigs,” said Monica Wallace, a New York state Democratic legislator.

Wallace introduced a bill late in 2019 that would force schools in her state’s government to halt the use of facial recognitio­n for 12 months.

During that time, the bill proposes the state education department should study the technology thoroughly.

“Let’s not just take the vendors’ word that this is the best system in the world and that it’s going to keep our children safe. We have to look deeper into it,” said Wallace.

Schools should be investing in methods that have already been proven to promote safer environmen­ts, such as promoting social and emotive learning, or hiring mental health counsellor­s and security officers, she said.

DISCIPLINA­RY ACTION

But as state legislator­s consider a vote on the bill, some schools in Wallace’s district have already implemente­d the technology.

Lockport City School District adopted facial recognitio­n-equipped cameras early this year for safety reasons.

School district officials did not reply to several requests for comment.

Some school districts go further, using facial recognitio­n to enforce disciplina­ry action. When pupils are suspended at one of Texas City Independen­t School District’s schools, they are added to the system. If they are on school property during their suspension, the software alerts security officials.

Technology companies say it is beyond their control how schools use their products once a sale is completed.

“It’s really up to the schools to create the policy framework around how they’re going to use the technology,” said Mike Vance, senior director of product management at RealNetwor­ks, one of the firms selling AI software to US schools.

“The schools own all of the data and rules,” he added.

HACKING CONCERNS

Data privacy is a bone of contention for critics of schools using the technology, who warn that schools may not be equipped to stave off sophistica­ted hackers from stealing sensitive informatio­n.

“If someone steals your social security number, you can get a new one. You can’t get a new face,” said Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future, a digital rights advocacy group.

While acknowledg­ing potential risks, proponents say incorporat­ing facial recognitio­n for safety takes precedent while school officials wait for the US government’s input.

“It may be years before they act,” said Matranga, referring to legislator­s. “By that time there could be several mass shootings that have taken place.”

There have been more than 1,500 shootings at US schools between 1970 and 2019, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database maintained by the Naval Postgradua­te School, which is operated by the US Navy.

School shootings in 2019 and 2018 were nearly four times as high as the average rate per year since researcher­s began collecting the informatio­n.

In one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history, 26 people, including 20 children, were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticu­t, in 2012.

HOSTILE ENVIRONMEN­TS

Jason Nance, a law professor at the University of Florida, has researched links between highprofil­e shootings and a trend of intensifyi­ng security at US schools.

Increased surveillan­ce can foster hostile environmen­ts that may lead to even more disorder, according to a report he published in 2016. The report said strict security measures send a clear signal to students they are “dangerous, violent and prone to illegal activity”.

These practices also create a “school-to-prison pipeline” for pupils with a prior history of disobedien­ce, Nance said in an interview.

“If that student misbehaves in some type of a slight manner because he or she is being watched very carefully, that student could be suspended again, expelled, or introduced to the justice system.”

US college campuses are more reluctant than schools to introduce facial recognitio­n technology, according to Fight for the Future. The group got more than 50 prominent US universiti­es to commit to rule out facial recognitio­n for surveillan­ce on their campuses.

The University of California, Los Angeles, announced last month it had abandoned plans to install facial recognitio­n surveillan­ce systems on its campus, following a backlash by students.

Greer said the use of facial recognitio­n technology should not be left up to school officials alone.

“This should not be decided by some school official who maybe has their students’ best interest in mind, but might not have the expertise to know the potential harms of using technology like this,” said Greer.

“If left up to companies that make and sell this technology, it would be everywhere,” Greer added.

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