Parents concerns scrap fingerprinting in Pennsylvania

Schools in York City School District have scrapped fingerprint biometrics for lunch payments after a complaint by a parent at Jackson Elementary over concerns of how "their children's finger prints were being used and they were not properly notified".  By speaking out, effect can be made.

The school district says no fingerprints are kept - let's be accurate, the digital identifier of the fingerprint is kept and, although the school district say children's information is not shared, there is a potential for sharing with other agencies.  Here in the UK this could potentially happen (see questions 50 and 51).  Agencies keep digital identifiers of a fingerprint, much as the school does.  Fingerprint biometric databases can inter-operate.

"a district leader told CBS21 off the record that parents would not be concerned if they were fully informed."  Actually if parents *were* fully informed, a few more parents would most probably be very concerned.  

Blacon High School - prompt? transparent?

After an unanswered Freedom of Information request from the 13th February earlier this year Blacon High School advised today that an internal review of their failure to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is due back 25th April.  They are taking the maximum time to respond allowed under the law.

Advice from the Information Commissioners's Office (ICO) with regards to responding to a Freedom of Information request -"Your main obligation under the Act is to respond to requests promptly, with a time limit acting as the longest time you can take."

13 February until 25 April... prompt?  Blacon High School didn't even respond to the initial Freedom of Information request and do not have a Freedom of Information Publication scheme on their website.

Advice from the ICO, "The publication scheme covers information you have already decided you can give out. People should be able to access this information directly on the web, or receive it promptly and automatically whenever they ask."  - One has been asked for.

Also from ICO "The Act is designed to increase transparency. Members of the public should be able to routinely access information that is in the public interest and is safe to disclose."

Mmm... transparent and being "able to routinely access information"  has certainly not been the experience with this Freedom of Information request. 

'No choice' biometrics? Only up to 31st August 2013

Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School

As reported in the Mail, it seems the modus operandi remains the same in private schools as it does in state schools. Give parents less than a week to 'opt out' of their child's biometric fingerprint data being taken, in this case 4 days, then fingerprint the kids.  

Parents do not always get emails, letters or even think to look at the schools website or even expect the school to assume consent in order for a parent to withdraw consent and in this case one pupil said that his parent had "zero idea" and that the school had given the pupils "no choice" to have 'their fingerprints taken'.

Schools do not assume consent for school trips or photographs being taken of children. Why then assume parents have already consented for the school to take, store and process a child's biometric data?  Surely schools should know that, in less than 6 months, this contentious issue of consent is becoming enforceable law in September 2013.

That's not cricket Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School is it now?

Very sensible advice from a parent whose son attends the school:  "The Times has reported that Paul Jessop, who has a son at the school, said:

'The use of biometrics can be very convenient but it relies on the security of the systems used. Without real assurances about this security, I could not recommend that any parent allow their child’s fingerprints to be used for something as trivial as paying for lunch.'

Wise words indeed and a statement that has been reiterated by Microsoft's Kim Cameron below.  Other parents may want to seriously consider Paul Jessop's above words of advice as the following experts and academics have all expressed concerns about children's biometrics being used in schools.  
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Kim Cameron (Microsoft's Chief Architect of Access) has been blogging some more on this issue about the minutes of a school board meeting in Florida... here.
Kim Cameron has this to say:

"It drives me nuts that people can just open their mouths and say anything they want about biometrics... without any regard for the facts. There should really be fines for this type of thing - rather like we have for people who pretend they're a brain surgeon and then cut peoples' heads open."
http://pippaking.blogspot.co.uk/2007/05/kim-cameron-microsoft-has-been-blogging.html
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This post here from him (Kim Cameron) states: 

"The more I learn from Alex Stoianov about the advantages of Biometric Encryption, the more I understand how dangerous the use of conventional biometric templates really is. I had not understood that the templates were a reliable unique identifier reusable across databases and even across template schemes without a fresh biometric sample. 

People have to be stark, raving mad to use conventional biometrics to improve the efficiency of a children’s lunch line."

When this comes from Kim Cameron, alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear for those schools using this technology and for apathetic government departments letting this go ahead completely unregulated.
http://pippaking.blogspot.co.uk/2007/04/people-have-to-be-stark-raving-mad-to.html
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Fred Bellamy, a Phoenix Attorney who specializes in Technology Law went on to say that "fingerprinting children is an invasion of privacy".

“Once the data are captured no matter what kind of promises the vendor may make there is a serious risk, and I think the parents have every reason to be concerned about how this data will ultimately be used.” 
http://pippaking.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/in-and-out.html
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"Head teacher Gillian James said in an explanatory letter to parents that the system would store a number based on a fingerprint reading. No fingerprint images would be stored". - Not exactly true, what is stored is an fingerprint algorithmic 'image' that our UK police can access and use without parents and pupils knowledge (Deputy Information Commissioner Q50 & Q51). 

I wish teachers would stop spouting the vendors and the governments "It's not a fingerprint...." speil and educate themselves.
http://pippaking.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/technology-for-technologys-sake.html
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Experts and academics that have voiced concerns about biometric technology in schools:

Kim Cameron, Microsoft's Identity Architect
Andrew Clymer, senior identity management security expert (more than 8 years at Cisco Systems, working with Visa, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, etc - providing them with a secure network environment)
Paul Squires, Identity Solutions Architect at Enline plc
Bruce Schneier, a respected US writer and lecturer on issues surrounding security and privacy, who has testified before Congress and authored eight books and dozens of articles and academic papers.
Ralf Bendrath, privacy, security and internet researcher
Dr Sandra Leaton Gray, Director of Studies, Sociology of Education, Homerton College, Cambridge
Professor Emerita Leone Burton, University of Birmingham, visiting research fellow, Cambridge University
Patricia Deubel, PhD, adjunct faculty member in the graduate School of Education at Capella University
Dr James Atherton, learningandteaching.info
Jon Crowcroft, Marconi Professor of Communications Systems, University of Cambridge
Terrance Boult, University of Colorado
Eugene Schultz, Ph.D., CISM, CISSP, CTO of High Tower Software
David French , 30 plus years in IT, Wellington NZ
Brian Drury, IT security consultant, UK
Brian Honan, independent security consultant based in Dublin, Ireland
Dom Devitto, information Security consultant, UK
Rufus Evison MA (Cantab), senior IT consultant and company director, UK
An unnamed Police Fingerprint Officer (15+ years' experience)
Stephen Groesz, a partner with the law firm Bindmans
The Austrian Supreme Court
The States of Michigan, Illinios and Iowa (so far, others are likely to follow)
Tony Delaney, The Assistant Irish Data Protection Commissioner
Roderick Woo, Justice of the Peace at the Hong Kong Office of the Privacy Commissioner
George Radwanski, Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Ann Cavoukian, The Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Fred Bellamy, a Phoenix Attorney who specializes in Technology Law
Damian Green MP, Conservative Home Affairs spokesman
The Rt Hon David Davis MP, Conservative Shadow Home Secretary
Nick Gibb MP, Conservative Shadow Minister For Schools
Baroness Carnegy, Conservative
Sarah Teather MP, LibDem Shadow Education Secretary
Greg Mulholland MP, Lib Dem Schools spokesperson
Baroness Walmsley, LibDem
Baroness Howe, Crossbencher
83 other MPs from all parties who have signed Early Day Motion 686 (frontbenchers do not usually sign EDMs)
More than 1500 parents who voted last summer [2006] in an online poll against kiddyprinting without parental consent. 93% opposed fingerprinting without consent. 

http://pippaking.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/technology-for-technologys-sake.html

Accountability for school implementing biometrics

A school in Salford, Manchester, UK, has recently implemented a fingerprint biometric system. 

The method by which the school has communicated with parents and how the system has been implemented has concerned one parent enough, after gaining some information via a Freedom of Information request, to set up a Facebook page detailing how the system is being introduced in the school with children and about biometric systems in schools in general. 

The forthcoming legislation, coming into force this September 2013, it seems, is providing a good and long needed neccessary platform to enable parents and the public to ensure schools act responsibly when using such biometric systems that process children's biometric data.

Current news from parents concerning biometric systems in schools are listed the social media links on this topic, on this page's right hand menu bar.

Maryland introduce a bill Prohibiting Collection of Biometric Information from Students

USA - Maryland Schools stopped the implementation of biometric palm scanners for cashless catering in December 2012 after privacy concerns were aired by parents. 

After a Board of Education meeting, Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent Steve Guthrie told WBAL  “I made the decision to suspend it after concerns were being expressed by the community.  There was division on those who were for the palm scanner and those who were against it. It is not my intent to alienate any segment of our community. It is my job to unify the community, not to create divisions.”   A respectful and fairly unique stance taken by the school district with regards to the implementation of biometric systems.  They are looking into an alternative system.

On February 7th 2013 a Bill, SB855, was introduced by Senator Getty to the US Maryland Government which reads:

Public Schools – Collection of Biometric Information from Students – Prohibited 

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a county board or a person subject to the direction and control of the county board from collecting biometric information from students enrolled in a public school; defining a certain term; and generally relating to the collection of biometric information from students enrolled in public schools.

The scanners in Maryland were supplied by PalmSecure, a Fujitsu property.  The above Bill is probably not the desired effect Fujitsu envisioned when they first trialed the infra-red vein scanning technology on primary school children in Scotland in 2006.  The desired effect was articulated by Mike Nelson's the General Manager of Fujitsu Europe in 2006, who said at the time:

"Biometric solutions will increasingly allow us to move towards a cashless society and this project is one of the first real examples in the UK of an innovative and truly practical biometric solution in operation. I fully expect this to be the first of many similar implementations across Europe"

(The original link to the news article quoting Mike Nelson on Fujitsu's site has been removed (it was 7 years ago) but his comments are also reported here.)

Thankfully Fujitsu's vision of a cashless society, aided by infra-red palm scans, has not yet materialised and the existence of this Bill proves society's reluctance to use such technologies.

Is there a coincidence that these technologies are being aimed at the next generation in schools to get them young?  ...to prepare for technology companies, and possibly a government's, dream of a cashless society? 

Children embrace technology without the mature questioning that an adult mind brings, in this case the parents have intervened and a Senator introduced a Bill on the use of biometric technology in schools with children.  Whether the Bill becomes enacted or not, a public debate will be had on the topic, which has to be a positive and healthly process for our society.

Devices now read fingerpints up to 6 metres away

Back in 2011 it was reported in Odd Gadgets that devices could read fingerprints from 6 feet (2 metres) away.  No more placing a finger on a scanner, reducing the risk of sharing harmful bugs and bacteria no doubt.

In 2012 the biometric technology by the same company can "effectively scan fingerprints through photographic capture from as far as six meters.

Though the AIRprint is technically capable of a six-meter scan, according to Ange the standard distance this device works is between two and six feet. As previously reported in BiometricUpdate.com, the AIRprint uses only one finger, but enhancements are being made to meet the standard for commercial use, which is the use of four fingers."

A parent's communication with school implementing biometrics

This month a concerned parent wrote to her child's school after finding out the school was planning to implement a biometric system.  She has kindly allowed the communications to be published so other parents wanting to use any of the information, the Freedom of Information request or the letter, sent to the school can see some questions to ask and points to consider.

Freedom of Information request sent to a school implementing a biometric system and a Letter raising concerns and links to aspects for the school to consider.

The law changes here in the UK.  Come September 2013 schools must have the written signature of one parent and the consent of the child in order to process a students biometric data. 

In light of this the UK Department of Education published these guidelines and template letters for schools to use in light of the pending leglislation:
Protection of Biometric Information of Children in Schools.
Government response to the consultation on draft advice on protection of information of children in schools

Biometrics at Blacon

Blacon High School, West Cheshire, UK, implemented a fingerprint biometric catering system in June last year, 2012.

A letter was sent out Tuesday 12th June telling parents that the system would be going 'live' the following Thursday of the next week, 21st June.  With Blacon High School taking the children's biometrics on Monday 18th June.

That gave parents just 3 - 4 working days to read the letter (we parents do not always read letters the day we get them), do some research into biometrics in schools (which throws up a myriad of issues) and contact the school if they did "not want your child to be included in the system".

Mmmm... a hurried state of affairs here it seems.  Blacon High School's speedy communication in relation to biometric registration is very similar to how other schools have operated.

In most instances of parents contacting this blog and the Leave Them Kids Alone site, this type of hurried biometric implementation has also been experienced.  One could argue that this method allows less time for parental objection, so that a higher, more covert, proportion of pupil biometric take up is ensured.

Certainly in my experience more than 3 working days notice is commonly given for normal school activities, dates to be put in diaries, to allow consent for school trips, food tasting, swimming, collection of monies, vaccinations, sports days, etc.

Not so in this instance.

Understandably some parents and the wider community were shocked at the notion of schools taking, storing and processing their children's biometrics - and at Blacon High School's speedy implementation of the fingerprint biometric system.

This resulted in articles and letters in the local papers with parents contacting political parties for support and accountability.  Parents have taken legal advice, set up a Facebook Group "Refuse to use" and are contacting the wider community to spead awareness and gather support against the biometric system.

Apart from all the privacy and civil liberties issues surrounding children submitting their biometrics for school functions, as this blog has detailed before, the question has to be asked:

Why would a school with 449 pupils (see 6th March  2012 Ofsted Inspection) buy a biometric system in 2012 when come September 2013 all UK schools have to by law, as detailed in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, collect one parental signature per child to enable the school to take and process a child's biometrics?

Why is there no mention of the new biometric system on Blacon High School's website or their Data Protection Register entry?  See the Information Commissioner's Office quote about the register "The main purpose of the public register is transparency and openness".

Not only does Blacon High School have to collect one parent's signature in order to collect a child's biometric data but the school has to be seen to make an effort to contact both parents.  In Blacon High School's case 998 parents for the new cashless catering system and the school need to also have in place a duplicate, alternative system for those parents and children who do not consent.

How efficient is that a spend of our UK tax payers monies?  Two systems.  A bad school management decision? Who is accountable?

On a lighter note...

What is betting that Blacon High School give parents more than 3 - 4 working days to give their written consent in order for the school to run their newly purchased biometric system?   If one child's biometric data resides on Blacon High School's biometric system without a signed parental consent form come September 1st 2013, the school will be breaking the law,

I suspect there may be a few eyes watching how Blacon High School complies with the forthcoming enforceable legislation over the coming months.  I think more to come on this.

"...the definition of privacy means something different today than it did five years ago”

I didn’t know quite where to come from on this one from the School Transportation News, the fact that on company "offers a touchless fingerprint scanning system, which claims to read fingerprints from up to 6 meters away" or the quote that comes from Jay Ange, the Director of Sales, at IDair, Alabama, the company selling the touchless fingerprint scanners.

“Still, privacy issues remain as the general public may not know exactly how biometric fingerprint technology works, but the definition of privacy means something different today than it did five years ago, Ange said.”

“the definition of privacy means something different today than it did five years ago”.  I would agree 100% with that statement.  We all need to be super vigilant about the information trail each of us leaves every day, how and where we travel, buy goods, use energy (with the advent of smart meters), images caught on CCTV and be especially aware if technology exists that scans your fingerprint from 6 meters away...

Parent pressure in Maryland USA scrap school palm scanners

Parent pressure in Carroll, Maryland, has persuaded the school district to scrap controversial palm scanners in 10 schools after parents "said the system violated their children's privacy".

John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute and a constitutional lawyer asked School Superintendent Stephen Guthrie to review using an opt-in process, as Whitehead said "with private information and kids, I much prefer an opt-in" and here in the UK our parliamentarians agree in this.  

This opt-out form of gaining consent was used in the UK and has been much criticized. Opt-in consent enacted into law May 2012 becomes enforceable September 2013.

Stephen Guthrie made this rather surprising statement "We felt the scans fell under normal school process."   Really?  Is it 'normal' for schools to take a child's biometric marker in exchange for food?  Adults do not do that in society so why on earth would it be a "normal school process" to introduce a system, alien to the society outside a school, that normalises such a disproportionate use of biometrics - with children? 

As with all biometric systems sold to teachers, a solution is pitched to speed up lunch lines, streamline operations and cut costs.  Teachers being told it's normal technology to use in schools.  Normal for whom? 

Surely if these teachers in schools actually sat back and really thought about it... really? ...fingerprinting kids for lunch?  Infra-red palm scanning for food?  Is it really worth trading a child's personal biometrics to shave a few dollars off a budget?  

Children have rights, and society's morals, ethics and civil liberties outside school must permeate to within a school too.  Thankfully these parents enabled this to happen.

Parental consent now a legal requirement in UK

In May 2012 the Protection of Freedoms Act was given Royal Assent and passed into law in the UK.  Chapter 2 of the Act, clauses 26-28, deals with consent when processing a child's biometric data:

Chapter 2 Protection of biometric information of children in schools etc.
26. Requirement to notify and obtain consent before processing biometric information
27 Exceptions and further provision about consent and notification
28. Interpretation

The salient points of the Act are: 

• Each parent of the child should be notified by the relevant authority that they are planning to process their child's biometrics and notified that they are able to object.  
• In order for a school to process children's biometrics at least one parent must consent and no parent has withdrawn consent. This needs to be in writing.
• The child can object to the processing of their biometrics regardless of parents consent.
• The child is under 18 years old.

The requirement for parental consent as defined in this Act becomes enforceable In September 2013.

The UK is the first country in the world to address the issues of informing parents and requiring their consent when their children’s biometrics are being taken, stored and processed by a school or any such institution.

Further scrutiny will be needed to see how enforceable this law is and how 'informed' parental consent is.  Informed consent is a complex issue.  If the biometric vendor, as the sole supplier of information via the school to the parent, is the sole source of information that the school gives to the parent, fully informed consent could be questionable.

It is interesting to note that not one academic, educationalist, industry developer have given their support for children using biometrics, in fact many experts have have voiced their concerns.  Only biometric vendors and schools seems to think biometrics use without parental consent with children is acceptable.  I know whose advice I'd take.

It's a good job that if parents Google "Biometrics in Schools" then this blog appears on Google's first results page.  Parents should also check out the Leave them Kids Alone website.

Children's Biometrics in the House of Lords

The Protection of Freedoms Bill had it's second reading in the House of Lords last week and some peers spoke in a positive manner about gaining consent of parents before schools take and process children's biometrics.

Lord Henley -

"it is right that parents should be asked to make an informed decision about whether to accede to the processing of such information. It is also proper that pupils should have a say."

The Lord Bishop of Bristol -

"I back the protection of biometric information on children in schools, with parental consent being required for processing information"

Lord Kennedy of Southwark -

 "Proposals regarding the express parental consent for the use of children's fingerprints are welcome"

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) tweeted that "Pleased to see Lord Lucas supporting ASCL's objections to restricting biometrics in schools in yday's Lord's debate. http://t.co/TlxwoxxR"

As the ASCL rightly state there was one peer, Lord Lucas, who indeed spoke of the section on biometrics in school as a "daffy overreaction".  (daffy?)  Lord Lucas also commented that biometrics in schools...

"...have great benefits. They improve safety. They improve privacy. They greatly improve efficiency."

If biometrics in schools do have such above beneficial effects what has the ASCL or Lord Lucas to be frightened about gaining parental consent.  Surely given the above claims, parents should willingly embrace this technology and thereby give consent.  Schools gain consent for all manner of activities, it is a process they are familiar with.

I would be interested to see validation of Lord Lucas's claims.  Claims that remind me of the previous Labour Government waffle justifying using childrens biometrics in schools for mundane tasks, and of course, claims made by companies selling access, registration and security systems to schools.

Infrared palm scans out-biometric fingerprints for school lunches

What is so wrong with school fingerprint biometrics that warrants over $100,000 being spent on biometric palm scanning equipment to replace an existing fingerprint payment system?  Source Palm Harbor News, Florida

Did the fingerprint system break down, is it not secure enough or perhaps the new vogue in biometrics for kids is the infrared palm scanner?

Or maybe fingerprint biometrics are just not fast enough to propel students at the desired speed through cafeterias as "this high-tech scanning system will make the lunch line move faster" ...faster even than fingerprint biometrics?   Undoubtedly, biometric vendors will be selling differing biometric systems to school by 'miles per hour' lunch line speeds!

"The new palm-scanning program, piloted at Boca Ciega High School, cost the district $105,000. It replaces a finger scan system used in county middle and high schools since 2005.

"Pinellas County Schools are the first in the nation to use a palm scanning system"

A proud claim indeed. Of course, we have Scottish children to thank for Boca Ciega High School's first infrared claim, although competition is hot on their heels by kids in Reading Schools District, Ohio.

The Amey/ Fujitsu palm scanning technology was first introduced to Scottish primary schools back in 2007.  Presumably the Scottish trials went well enough to market infrared palm scanning to the US.  After all the US had around 49 million school children as opposed to an approximate meagre 9 million in the UK.  A more lucrative US market, especially when imminent legislation here in the UK may require full parental consent to be gained by schools for biometrics to be used with students.

The speed of which school lunch queues move seems to be an ever evolving, publicly expensive, obsession held by schools and biometric companies on both sides of the pond.

Here's an idea, maybe the thousands of pounds and dollars spent on such systems could be invested in childrens education instead?