How US schools are using kids’ phones to track and surveil them

Using hidden tracking infrastructure to follow people in school hallways adds another layer of surveillance to our lives. — Dreamstime/TNS

Teachers often lament that phones can be a distraction in classrooms. Some governments have even banned phones outright in schools. But a few US school administrations see phones in schools as a benefit because they can help keep track of students more efficiently.

At least 10 schools across the US have installed radio frequency scanners, which pick up on the WiFi and Bluetooth signals from students' phones and track them with accuracy down to about one meter, or just over three feet, said Nadir Ali, CEO of indoor data tracking company Inpixon.