Week 5 - Chapter 3 Ethics and Privacy

 

Student tracking Apps and an Ethical Dilemma of Implementing Biometric Technologies

Introduction:

This week’s reading included ethical and privacy concerns regarding student-tracking apps in higher education. The app ‘SpotterEDU’ would use Bluetooth sensors and Wi-Fi networks to monitor students’ attendance by “pinpointing students within a classroom until they leave.” (Rainer & Prince, 2022) and location while on campus. Schools claim these technologies improve student success and safety, but their implementation raises concerns about surveillance, consent and personal freedom. Furthermore, the adoption of biometric technologies for various purposes, including health monitoring, adds an additional level of ethical complexity to the scene. “The objective of implementing biometric technologies is to ensure that anyone having high body temperature is recognized and stopped from entering the premises of an office, mall, restaurant, etc.” (Rainer & Prince, 2022)

Main Reflection:

The discussion of student tracking apps places debates between institutional accountability and individual privacy in the limelight. SpotterEDU, Degree Analytics and Life360 would provide universities and parents with unprecedented access to students' locations. However, their use poses significant ethical and legal challenges.

Considering ethics, a few key points to consider include responsibility, accountability and liability. Responsibility refers to the obligation of universities and app providers to ensure their tracking systems do not violate student rights to privacy off campus and while on campus property. Accountability concerns who should answer for any misuse of the data collection or tracking, and liability refers to the legal consequences of potential data breach or misuse of student information. With the prevalence of hackers and individuals' legal backgrounds (such as DVO’s or stalker issues), having tracking apps on individuals' personal items may cause legal issues in the long run if not well maintained.

A concern that stands out most while reading this week's chapter is that some apps operate without students’ explicit consent. For instance students attending Virginia Commonwealth University had to actively opt out of the ‘Degree Analytics’ tracking program with a limited time to do so. (see figure 1)

Biometric applications are increasingly used for user authentication, identifying criminals and ensuring security. During Covid, the adoption of biometric technologies skyrocketed, particularly the thermal imaging and facial recognition technology to control the spread of the virus. Health-Tech Limited is a company that implemented thermal imaging systems in its Australian office entrance to combat manual input of 450 individual employee health checks. Although they did streamline the check-in process, employees were concerned that their data would be used to assess fitness for employment, and others were unclear about what data was being collected and how it was sorted and filed.

Challenges and questions:

Some primary ethical and legal issues surrounding student tracking apps and biometric technologies include:

-          Privacy concerns: Do students and employees have a right to privacy and are individuals fully aware of what data is being collected and how its used. Can they opt out?

-          Potential for misuse: could tracking technologies be used for malicious purposes?

-          Security risks: how are organisations ensuring data protection against breaches of unauthorised access?

Conclusion:

In conclusion, student tracking apps and biometric technologies present complex ethical dilemmas. While universities and organisations argue these technologies enhance success and safety, they also pose significant concerns about privacy, autonomy and surveillance.