S.T.O.P. Concerned Schools Are Squandering COVID Relief Money On Surveillance

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View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Concerned Schools Are Squandering COVID Relief Money On Surveillance   (New York, NY, 5/17/2021) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, expressed concern that some schools and universities are squandering funds provided for COVID-19 relief under the CARES Act for expanded surveillance. Today, VICE reported that Motorola Solutions, Verkada, Inc., SchoolPass, and other surveillance vendors are pressuring educators to purchase surveillance software with funds from the $170 billion pool designated for colleges / K-12 safety.   SEE: VICE - Tech Companies Want Schools to Use COVID Relief Money on Surveillance Tools https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkbpz7/tech-companies-want-schools-to-use-covid-relief-money-on-surveillance-tools   CNBC - Lawmakers provide K-12 schools and colleges with $170 billion in funding to help get kids back in classrooms https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/schools-colleges-receive-170-billion-dollars-to-help-reopen-classrooms.html   “CARES Act funding was meant to keep students safe, not put them behind bars,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “The pandemic was already a gold rush for firms that sell remote proctoring tools, but now the surveillance cash grab is entering school buildings. As schools struggle to provide students with ventilation and safe classrooms, this sort of sales pitch is indefensible. We’ve seen BIPOC students consistently falling behind during the pandemic. We should be giving them support, not doubling down on the school surveillance-to-prison pipeline.”   SEE: Fast Company - Remote test-taking software is an inaccurate, privacy-invading mess https://www.fastcompany.com/90586386/remote-test-taking-software-is-an-inaccurate-privacy-invading-mess   Motorola Solutions and Verkada aggressively marketed facial recognition, AI to schools, with Motorola and SchoolPass also marketing automated license plate readers. Other surveillance solutions pitched by Motorola and Verkada include AI-powered cameras and centralized video monitoring, anonymous “tip” submission apps, and real-time “person-of-interest” alerts. SEE: Verkada - Leveraging Economic Relief Funding for K-12 Back to School Safety https://www.verkada.com/blog/leveraging-economic-relief-funding-k12/  The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn Copyright © 2019 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.