Debunking 9 Student Privacy Concerns Around Online Monitoring Systems

As youth spend an increasing amount of time online, many parents are concerned about how schools use student data and how monitoring tools might inhibit the learning experience.

With the growth of remote learning and 1:1 initiatives in schools nationwide, now is a better time than ever to discuss student privacy and the myths perpetuating anti-monitoring views.

There's a fine line between monitoring and surveillance. The key difference between the two is that conversation and transparency guide the intention.

"Using monitoring software alone doesn't amount to much more than surveillance," cautions Teodora Pavkovic, the lead digital wellness and online safety expert at Linewize. "When you add conversation to that—and lots of it—you create that vital dialogue around digital citizenship, healthy online habits, and social-emotional well-being."

As a leader in creating solutions to identify K -12 students in need, Linewizes aims to continue meaningfully contributing to student data privacy and safety-related conversations.

 In this article, we'll debunk some of the most commonly circulated misconceptions.

1) Monitoring tools substitute mental health counselors

No monitoring tool — no matter how robust the technology — can replace or replicate the need for a real, on-site mental health support system. Every school should have the resources to provide students with a comprehensive self-harm prevention strategy, qualified counselors and intervention framework(s).

The right monitoring solutions provide the support and evidence that mental health professionals and school staff need to provide early intervention that protects student safety. 

2) Monitoring technology exists because of remote learning.

Contrary to what many believe, schools have used monitoring tools for decades. Since the Internet became a mainstay in the classroom, the government has implemented many federal regulations regarding privacy protection and Internet usage on school premises. These include: 

1. Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA): Congress enacted CIPA in 2000 to address concerns regarding children's access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. 
2. Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA): Enacted in 1988, COPPA protects the privacy of children under the age of 13 by requiring parental consent for collecting or using any users' personal information. 
3. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted to protect the privacy of student education records.

These federal laws require schools to implement efficient safeguards to protect students and preserve the learning environment. Therefore, since these laws were passed, it has been mandatory for schools to "filter" and/or "monitor" student online activity. 

With the proliferation of remote learning and the acceleration of internet access in the classroom, organizations like Linewize have developed tools that ensure compliance with federal regulations and address growing concerns about school safety.

Lastly, the need for monitoring partly stems from schools being the leading 'supplier' of technology for children. Schools require learners to use digital devices in the classroom, so they must also implement safeguards to ensure children are safe while using these tools. If children's learning were less tech-saturated, there would also be less need for safeguarding.

3) Monitoring technology is unnecessary.

Monitoring technology has proven to be a positive and necessary tool for student safety nationwide. In 2021, data collected from Linewize Monitor found that:

1) Every 5 minutes, we spotted a child at serious risk. (71% increase on the previous year.)
2) Every hour, we found a child facing a very serious risk to their health or life.
3) Every 22 minutes, we found a child involved in a life-threatening cyberbullying or violent incident.
4) Every 12 minutes, we found a child involved in a serious sexual incident.

Many other studies illustrate the rise in harmful digital incidents at schools, including sexual harassment, self-harm, and bullying. This indicates that a) there is a serious need for efficient student monitoring systems in schools and b) more advanced online student digital monitoring technology is on par with the rise in threats to modern-day student life.

4) Collected data is never deleted

Many companies have been scrutinized for their invasive data collection policies. Understandably, it's scary to think that any app or service you use collects your data indefinitely. 

However, this isn't the case with online monitoring software, which must adhere to federal laws regarding student data privacy. 

5) Every sensitive subject is flagged

Student threat detection software should only flag online activity considered risky by a combination of advanced AI-aided solutions and human moderators. Many monitoring tools are sophisticated enough to distinguish between creative expression and harmful online activity.

For example, if a middle school student is researching the adverse effects of drugs for a term paper, that student would not be flagged. Issues that are prematurely flagged for non-risky behavior are called "false positives."

"With other solutions we have had to be on top of the alerts so we don't miss anything," says Lenny Libitz, CTO at South Bound School District, NJ. "That means going through tons of false positives. Linewize Monitor has allowed us to step back a little."

Reliable solutions take great care to ensure every "risk" is carefully analyzed to reduce the amount of false positives produced.

6) Teachers analyze student monitoring data often.

The notion that teachers use their school's student safety platform to see what children do outside class hours is unprecedented. The right software should reduce the stress and administrative workload teachers handle. There's a difference between student monitoring and classroom management platforms.

Classroom management software like Classwize allows K-12 teachers to conduct and manage technology-aided classroom sessions with greater ease and control. Educators can use the tools to view students' screens to ensure they are engaged, free from distractions, and on track with the lesson plan in the classroom. 

Monitoring, on the other hand, monitors potential risks without classroom interference. Therefore, in most cases, teachers never have to interact with data collected from monitoring tools beyond vetted and flagged student activity.

7) Schools weaponize data to control student behavior

While no one can speak for every school, it goes without saying that no faculty member should weaponize data to control student behavior. Unfortunately, rumors of this behavior have led many people to consider this type of dictation the rule rather than the exception.

School administrators and staff should work with their community to relay information about how their student threat detection platforms work, what they're used for, what data is collected, and how long data is stored. Building transparency around monitoring tools can cultivate a community of shared values and goals for protecting student well-being.

According to Pavkovic:

"The need for transparency should be top-of-mind for every school district that decides to implement monitoring technologies. We have heard of instances where parents and students found out months after-the-fact that school-issued devices were being monitored, and this understandably caused a severe breakdown of trust in school leadership. 

A huge part of implementing this type of technology successfully involves making sure that both parents and students understand what is going on, what the technology entails and what it doesn't, and that they feel their opinions and feelings are being valued."

8) Monitoring tools can spy on students

There is a widely circulated misconception that monitoring tools "spy" on students. Some myths claim monitoring tech can activate a student's webcam. This couldn't be further from the truth; even when students are in remote school classes or using a personal device with cameras turned on, online student monitoring technology cannot access the device's camera or microphone.

Think of tools like Linewize Monitor as a motion sensor light, working silently in the background but "activating" when it detects a potential risk on a school-issued device.

Then, it captures a screenshot of the potential risk for additional assessment by artificial intelligence technology and highly-trained Linewize human moderators. Only serious threats are shared with the appropriate school staff for intervention.

9) Monitoring technology is used to detect self-harm risks only

Online monitoring tools have been closely associated with the term "self-harm prevention." However, there are many use cases for monitoring; the ability to identify potential student mental health concerns and self-harm risks is just one of them.

Monitoring tools like Linewize Monitor detect student safety risks across seven key categories, including violence, bullying, suicide, drugs, abuse, extremism, and oversharing.