As quoted in:
Abamu, Jenny. “Why the State of Surveillance in Schools Might Lead to the Next Equifax Disaster.” EdSurge. 19 September 2017.
However, privacy experts fear the cyber-security risks associated with adaptable technology’s rise to the top is akin to the popular meme of a dog sitting with a cup of coffee saying, “This is Fine,” in a room that is on fire.
Doug Levin, an industry expert who has been carefully tracking data breaches in the K-12 school districts, echoes Fitzgerald’s concern, saying, “It is incredibly hard for even the most tech-savvy companies to secure potentially valuable information. It’s not a question of if a breach will happen, [the real question is]…when and [then] how do I respond.” Since 2016 he has identified more than 200 cybersecurity related incidents in schools.
Levin also takes issue with the algorithmic method in which technology tracks and responds to student behavior. “I understand why these tracking technologies might be appealing to some administrators. There are ways it can [help]…students. But it is a very slippery slope down to Minority Report,” Levin explains. “You are making predictions like, ‘Johnny has a 95 percent chance that he is going to commit plagiarism. He hasn’t done it yet, but we will go in there and intervene now.’ That’s a great startup idea. We can help kids before they even know they need help.”