New York has taken a significant step towards protecting student privacy by banning the use of facial recognition technology in schools, according to the state’s Commissioner of Education, Betty Rosa, who issued the order this past Wednesday. A detailed account of the
prohibition is available via the official New York State Education Department website.
The decision follows a state
report which concluded that the risks to student privacy from the technology far outweigh the potential security benefits. The report further examined the utility of biometric identification technology in schools and its potential implications.
Under the order, schools are not permitted to purchase or use facial recognition technology but are allowed to use other forms of biometric identification technology, such as fingerprint identification. It is up to schools to consider the potential privacy and civil rights implications of implementing such technologies.
The report disclosed an unsettling potential for higher false-positive rates with facial recognition technology for people of color, non-binary and transgender people, women, the elderly, and children. This could result in violations of
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if found to disproportionately impact these protected groups.
The report also referenced previous studies that found 70% of school shooters, between 1980 and 2019, were current students and, thus, would not have been identified by facial recognition technology. Additionally, the reliance on such technology may lead to a false sense of security among school administrators.
It was concluded that other biometric identification technology, such as fingerprint identification, provided minimal risk compared to facial recognition technology while offering beneficial security measures for schools.