Facial recognition technology should be banned for use in schools, a study by the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy asserts.
The university says the study by the Ford School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program cites the heightened risk of racism and potential for privacy erosion.
The report argues the technology will “exacerbate racism,” an issue of particular concern as the nation confronts structural inequality and discrimination.
Deployment of facial recognition has been seen by some as a potential panacea to assist with security in the aftermath of school shootings. Schools also have begun using it to track students and automate attendance records. Globally, facial recognition technology represents a $3.2 billion business.
The study, “Cameras in the Classroom,” led by Shobita Parthasarathy, asserts that the technology is not suited to security purposes and creates a web of serious problems beyond racial discrimination, including normalizing surveillance and eroding privacy.
"Our analysis," the study says, "reveals that [facial recognition] will likely have five types of implications: exacerbating racism, normalizing surveillance and eroding privacy, narrowing the definition of the 'acceptable' student, commodifying data, and institutionalizing inaccuracy. Because [facial recognition] is automated, it will extend these effects to more students than any manual system could."
[Read the entire study (115 pages)]
“We have focused on facial recognition in schools because it is not yet widespread and because it will impact particularly vulnerable populations,” says Parthasarathy. "The research shows that prematurely deploying the technology without understanding its implications would be unethical and dangerous."
The Lockport (N.Y.) City School District decided last year to use the technology as part of its security plans; that led to a lawsuit from civil rights advocates over privacy concerns.
