Privacy Invasion? Schools Monitoring Home Devices

School Surveillance Raises Privacy Concerns. Schools’ safety tools are spying on kids 24/7, even at home, raising significant privacy concerns.

Story Highlights

• 86% of school safety companies monitor students continuously, including on personal devices.
• Privacy advocates raise concerns over lack of transparency and potential misuse.
• Legislation like California SB 906 mandates schools to address safety, complicating privacy issues.
• Parents and students express heightened concern over data privacy.

UC San Diego Study Reveals Extensive Monitoring

A study led by UC San Diego, published in July 2025, reveals that 86% of school safety technology companies engage in 24/7 monitoring of students. This includes tracking activities on personal devices and outside of school hours. The study highlights a significant lack of transparency in how these companies operate, as well as the breadth of data collected, including private messages and search histories. Such findings have raised substantial privacy concerns among parents, students, and privacy advocates.

This continuous surveillance of students is conducted under the pretense of ensuring safety and compliance. However, the lack of public information about the algorithms or error rates used by these companies raises questions about their transparency. The potential for overreach and bias is a significant concern, as the monitoring often extends beyond school hours and physical campuses, encompassing home and community environments.

Historical Context and Legislative Impact

The adoption of digital surveillance tools in schools accelerated in the 2010s, driven by concerns over school shootings, cyberbullying, and student mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic further increased reliance on these tools as schools shifted to online learning. Legislative mandates, such as California SB 906, require schools to address threats and ensure student safety, complicating the privacy landscape for students and families.

School districts contract with third-party vendors to monitor student activity, granting these companies significant control over data access. This dynamic leaves students and parents with limited input or recourse, as schools balance their safety obligations with privacy concerns. The recent UC San Diego study calls for more research on the effectiveness of these monitoring practices and how schools respond to alerts.

Ongoing Debate and Potential Implications

The findings from the UC San Diego study have intensified media coverage and public debate over school surveillance practices. Privacy advocates and civil liberties organizations continue to challenge the overreach in student surveillance. The study’s authors urge further research on adoption rates and school responses, highlighting the need for greater transparency and regulation of student monitoring technologies.

Schools’ safety tools are spying on kids — even at home https://t.co/hiYweKdC9y

— ConservativeLibrarian (@ConserLibrarian) August 25, 2025

In the short term, the heightened privacy concerns could lead to policy reviews at district and state levels. Long-term implications might include new regulations governing student data privacy and procurement practices, as well as increased demand for transparency and accountability from vendors. The economic, social, and political impacts underscore the importance of balancing student safety with privacy rights, a core principle for many conservative values.

Sources:

San Diego Unified School District Comprehensive School Safety Plan
Journal of Medical Internet Research Article
San Diego County Office of Education Resources
UC San Diego Press Release and Study Summary