| Biometric Technology has been incorporated into the United States educational system since the late 1990's but has not become a topic of national debate until the state of Florida passed legislation banning the implementation of biometrics in schools in 2014. Constitutional issues, such as violation of Fourth Amendment rights, failure to obtain parental consent, and privacy concerns have become national fears that biometrics has become a tool used by the government to track children. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted to protect children's right in 1974 and was updated in 2009 to include what biometric information is and the laws regarding its disclosure to third parties. There are states, such as Florida, who feel FERPA lacks the legislation to cover every aspect of the implementation of biometrics within schools and who see biometric as hurtful rather than helpful. The purpose of this research was to examine the biometric systems placed within elementary through high school educational institutions within the United States. What are the constitutional implications of implementing a biometric system in the educational system? What are the attributes of having a biometric system within the educational system? Why types of legislation have been enacted to protect children's rights and the advancement of technology regarding the implementation of biometric systems? Some states have passed their own legislation but there is no federal regulation of the concerns, policies, and procedures surrounding biometrics within schools. This has resulted in hundreds of children's biometric information being scanned without consent. The U.S. Department of Education has not taken a stance on this national concern, merely stating FERPA covers the basis of biometric information. Keywords: Cybersecurity, Professor Christopher Riddell, Biometrics, Education, Fourth Amendment, Privacy. |
