Michigan Schools Integrate Facial Recognition Technology Amidst Debate
In a move to enhance security, several schools in Michigan, including those in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, have adopted facial recognition technology. The system, known as Visitor Aware, is designed to identify and verify visitors to school premises.
Singlewire Software, the company behind Visitor Aware, highlights its primary advantage as enhancing school safety. By enabling staff to recognize potential threats before they enter, it provides a reliable record of visitors, which school administrators can access for reference.
Despite these benefits, the introduction of facial recognition in schools has sparked concerns among critics regarding its potential implications.
Molly Kleinman, who leads the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, points out that the technology predominantly recognizes white adult males more effectively, while it struggles with diverse groups such as gender nonconforming individuals, people with disabilities, and people of color.
According to a research report by Kleinman and her team, this bias can intensify existing racial disparities.
The Visitor Aware system functions by requiring school visitors to check in at a kiosk that scans their ID and confirms their identity. Upon successful verification, they receive a printed badge, indicating clearance to proceed.
Kleinman voices concerns that such measures might deter parents from engaging with schools. “We know from research that when there’s a big law enforcement presence at a school, for example, immigrant parents stay away,” she stated. “We also know that parental involvement is one of the big indicators of student success in school.”
Visitor Aware screens visitors against the National Sex Offender Registry and FBI databases, avoiding broader criminal background checks. To minimize false alarms, it only flags individuals when there’s a high probability of matching official records.
The responsibility of determining whether or not a flagged visitor should be granted entry rests with each school district, according to Singlewire.
Data privacy is another concern raised by Kleinman, who mentions, “You only have one face. Once your facial data is out there, there’s no getting it back.” Singlewire asserts that data is securely held in encrypted databases, with guest information erased from devices post-check-in.
“Information is never sold, transferred, or accessible to any person or service outside Visitor Aware,” a spokesperson from Singlewire assured.
Kleinman criticizes the technology for introducing surveillance into the educational environment without delivering complete accuracy. “We strongly believe in protecting student privacy,” stated Singlewire, clarifying that Visitor Aware does not gather student facial recognition data and limits its use to visitor identity verification.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District has not commented on the matter.
Kleinman acknowledges concerns surrounding school security, but views facial recognition as a simplistic technical solution to a more intricate social issue. She advocates for investing in broader social and human-centric strategies, such as increasing staffing and support systems within schools.
“Having more eyes on the hallway, having more people in the office who can build up relationships and get to know the families of students, that’s a big part of it,” she suggested.
However, Kleinman also noted that numerous challenges facing schools, including unrestricted access to firearms, cannot be resolved through facial recognition technology alone.
