A school district in Lockport, New York, is spending most of a $4 million state Smart School grant on facial-recognition technology and other security systems as part of a larger initiative to prevent school shootings, The Intercept reports. While the school purchased the software to help identify individuals placed on a school’s “blacklist,” critics argue the solution is expensive, ineffective and would instead lead to an expansion of surveillance and the criminalization of adolescents. Concerns have also been raised over what some see as a disproportionate use against students of color and the potential sharing of biometric data with local law enforcement or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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