(Washington, D.C., Wednesday, August 3, 2022) – With the shift to remote learning at the height of the pandemic, almost all (94%) schools have continued to give devices to students, and 89% of schools are using technology to monitor their students’ online activities. The vast majority of parents and students support monitoring software to keep students safe – especially to stop students from harming themselves or others – but three in four teachers report that students have been disciplined instead.

These findings are from a recent survey conducted by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), which also found that technology is being used to discriminate against vulnerable groups of students. Key findings include:

• 44% of teachers say law enforcement’s contacted students as a result of this technology.
• LGBTQ+ students have been targeted disproportionately more than their peers, experiencing being “outed” without consent, getting in trouble with their school, or being contacted by law enforcement due to concerns about them committing a crime.
• 60% of students with a learning difference or physical disability report being more likely to suppress their true thoughts and feelings when being monitored online.

Elizabeth Laird, Director of Equity in Civic Technology at CDT, discusses the current state of student activity monitoring being used on student devices, what teachers are reporting about how the information is being used, what students have experienced as a result of the monitoring, plus how the U.S. Department of Education can use its authority to protect students.