Implications of New School Surveillance Methods on Student Data Privacy, National Security, Electronic Surveillance, and the Fourth Amendment
By Amanda Peskin, University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law, Class of 2024
Abstract
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, schools have escalated their use of educational technology to improve students’ in-school and at-home learning. Although educational technology has many educational benefits for students, it has serious implications for students’ data privacy rights. Not only does using technology for educational practices allow schools to surveil their students, but it also avails students to data collection by the educational technology companies. This paper discusses the legal background of surveilling and monitoring student activity, provides the implications surveillance has on technology, equity, and self-expression, and offers several policy-based improvements to better protect students’ data privacy.
