In class, students might learn they have a right to privacy (the Fourth Amendment), but their experience appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
Every day, thousands of students have their privacy violated by attending school. Students walk through AI scanners that evaluate their backpacks, coats and lunchboxes for weapons. Facial recognition software scans their faces and records their biometric information. Their personal files, kept on their school-issued accounts, are scanned for “concerning” material.
Taking an ends-justify-the-means approach to privacy might provide a false sense of security for some parents and administrators. Still, it comes at the expense of the very kids they aim to protect. Surveys and focus groups reveal that education surveillance has caused students to not only alter their behavior and speech but also leads to early negative interactions with law enforcement from a young age.
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What will privacy mean to a generation that was raised in this environment? What would privacy mean for a person who never truly had any?
The Fourth Amendment acknowledges the right of each person to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. This means public officials must have a court-ordered warrant before searching you and your belongings. And while the law applies only to the government, the culture it originated from expected privacy in their personal affairs as well.
It begs the question — if no one understands their right to privacy, will they fight for it as adults?
The market for school safety products and services is lucrative — its major clients are public schools (obviously) and state governments. In 2021, the industry was valued at $3 billion. With numerous stories reporting inaccuracies and even outright failures to ensure student safety, one might wonder if it is worth the price tag.
Utah rejected similar surveillance technology for adults five years ago when the attorney general’s office signed — then later canceled — a $21 million contract with the surveillance company Banjo. Similar to today’s companies that seek state-funded deals, it was revealed that Banjo’s services, which involved massive amounts of data collection from databases, public and private, were never as good as they were advertised to be.
True believers in Jesus don’t need a “secondary plan” for salvation and eternal life. They need to follow the actions of Jesus Christ, according to Pastor Greg Lee of Suncrest Christian Church in St. John. “Followers of Jesus - church people - tend to forget that following Jesus is the way to get to heaven. But they’ve somehow constructed a different way in their mind by beating people into it, or convincing people about it, or telling people they’re wrong," Lee says. On this week’s show, Lee joins us in the studio to examine the gospel about Jesus Christ and why too many Christians don’t act Christ-like in their daily lives. “If you look at who Jesus had his harshest words for, it was for religious people who were harsh to people who were on the margins,” Lee tells Jerry, who's been on the margins of spirituality for decades. We hope you join us for a candid conversation - not a sermon - about faith, redemption, conviction and forgiveness. Also, how to demonstrate grace and mercy with a species that instinctively seeks justice. About the show “She Said, He Said" with co-hosts Jerry Davich and Karen Davich unpacks all the baggage about relationships, couples and issues between the sexes (and the ex’s). “Because there’s a lot to unpack,” Karen says. The dangers of online dating. The fun of flirting. Blended families. Difficult in-laws. Connecting after arguments. First kisses and final divorces. You name it, they’ll unpack it on “She Said, He Said.” All episodes are now available for viewing at NWI.com or to listen on your favorite platforms such as Apple, Spotify, Google and Audacy. Subscribe to not miss any new episodes. The couple's podcast is sponsored by Times Media Co. and Lee Enterprises. It's recorded each week at CreataSpacePlace studios in Hobart, Indiana, with local guests in the studio and timeless topics on the table.
Despite these concerns, companies continue striking new deals funded by taxpayer dollars. In fact, ZeroEyes successfully used an entire school district as its stepping stone to land a contract with the city of Hobbs, New Mexico. This will expand its coverage from 19 schools to a municipality with more than 40,000 people.
As we work toward improving student safety, public officials must think twice before readily handing over millions of dollars to companies offering highly invasive products and services to be used on children — especially when the technology has repeatedly been shown to be ineffective. Parents and community members need to be aware of the unseen costs that such infrastructure has on future generations of Americans. They need to be included in a school’s (or school district’s) decision to adopt such programs.
David R. Iglesias is a Government Affairs Associate at the Libertas Institute in Utah. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. The opinions are the writer's.
