Schools used to hate students using phones, but now they can start using them to collect data.
Let's talk about the future of surveillance in classrooms.
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You know that scene from The Dark Knight where Batman uses every Gotham citizens phone to create a map and figure out where the Joker is.
Imagine somebody saw that scene and thought, hey, that's pretty cool.
Let's use that on children.
Well.
now a company is doing that and it's called Inpixon.
Inpixon wants to start tracking students by using th radio frequency signals on their phones.
Now if they are too young to have phones, no worries.
They have got this very hip, very chill wristband tracker for kids from kindergarten to fifth grade to wear.
This company has been offering indoor positioning and analytics to malls, offices, and prisons for years.
It works by installing radio frequency scanners in rooms, which pick up on the signals your phone gives off, like WiFi, cell signals, and Bluetooth.
It uses that tot track people in a building with accuracy down to the meter on where you are, where you've been and where you're going.
Now this sus supposed to be anonymous, right?
After all there collecting a set of device numbers like your MAC address, not your name or your face.
Nope.
Here's a demo that impaction showed where it uses video cameras combined with their signal scans for security purposes.
They're able to match a person's face to the device he carried based on his phone signal being the only one in the area when he came inside.
So what made school see this and decide hey.
Let's do that.
Well, several schools across the US have signed contracts of Inpixon as the company pitched itself to be a school safety solution that could prevent school shootings.
Here's the evidence that tracking students through their phones actually keeps them safer.
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We spoke with impaction CEO Dr. Ali, who told us that the company had no research or evidence that its technology would actually make schools safer.
That's been the trend in Educational Technology over the last several years.
Tech companies flock to school boards boasting that their surveillance tool, whether it's facial recognition or tracking students on their phones, can prevent school shootings without any proof that it actually works.
A prior scene at investigation found out that facial recognition providers even admitted that it doesn't work.
So how does inpixion supposed to work for schools?
This scanner is a device that companies want to install in every classroom.
Room, it would log every device that enters its range not just phones but smartwatches tablets, headphones, printers.
If it has a Bluetooth signal it's getting tracked, schools would get even more data of the students devices were logged on to their Wi Fi.
The sensors track people's movements throughout the school day.
And if an unknown or blacklisted device shows up on campus security guard will go looking for it.
The tracking would also allow first responders to know where everyone is, in case there were something like a fire.
With response to tracking would it be just for safety purposes and promotional material for the wristbands designed for children who would also be a fitness tracker that could monitor student steps, calories, and heart rate and also track where the students are with a truancy monitor.
That really seems like data that you would need for keeping kids safe.
If you're a student, you can't opt out of this, you'll have to ask your parents to do it for you.
The other alternative is to just keep your phone on airplane mode while you're at school.
With systems like this kids will start learning that they're constantly being watched while they're also learning their ABCs Ask yourself what you're trading off.
And a better question is, if you're actually getting any safety out of this to begin with?
School Safety is obviously a priority, especially if you're a concerned parent looking out for your kids.
Well, you have to ask yourself, where do you draw the line on privacy?
And that's a question we're going to have to all keep asking ourselves as technology advances.
