Facial Recognition in Fulton County Schools
Information Certainty: Documented
Deployment Purpose: Surveillance
| Summary |
|---|
| 0 |
Products and Institutions:
| Product Deployed | Avigilon Facial Recognition Avigilon Movement Recognition |
|---|---|
| Institutions ⠉ | Avigilon Avigilon |
| Datasets | Avigilon (Dataset) Unknown Dataset 0026 |
| Search software |
Status and Events:
| Status | Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Events | Start (2 January 2018, Documented, , No description) |
| Start Date | |
| End Date |
Users:
| Involved Entities | Unknown Institution 0049 |
|---|---|
| Managed by | Fulton County School System |
| Used by | Fulton County School System |
Location:
| City | Sandy Springs |
|---|---|
| Country ⠉ | USA |
Description[ ]
Schools in the US are increasingly using surveillance systems to monitor students. Fulton County is one of the most extensive and 'integrated' examples. Avigilon provide the systems for the whole district, and the onset of the pandemic justified the expansion of the programme to include 'mask recognition'. It is not clear what the county school system does with the extensive data they collect, it is likely it could also be used to identify students for other purposes apart from mask wearing or discipline issues.
To help enhance safety at more than 100 schools, Fulton has installed a full Avigilon security solution that includes Avigilon cameras with self-learning video analytics, Avigilon network video recorders, and Avigilon Control Center (ACC) video management software with Avigilon Appearance Search™ technology. Fulton is also deploying Avigilon Access Control Manager to secure physical access points, providing an integrated security solution for the district 2
When the Fulton county district upgraded its surveillance camera network in 2018, officials were wooed by Avigilon’s AI-powered “appearance search”, which allows security officials to sift through a mountain of video footage and identify students based on characteristics like their hairstyle or the color of their shirt. When the pandemic hit, the company’s mask detection became an attractive add-on, Hildreth said. He said the district didn’t actively advertise the technology to students but they probably became aware of it quickly after students got called out for breaking the rules. He doesn’t know students’ opinions about the cameras – or seem to care 1
References
- a b Keierleber, Mark. ‘Really alarming’: the rise of smart cameras used to catch maskless students in US schools. , 2022.
- a b "Avigilon's Security Solutions Safeguard Staff And Students At Fulton County School System". (2022) <https://www.securityinformed.com/news/avigilon-security-solutions-staff-students-fulton-county-co-3126-ga.1527056570.html> Accessed: 2022-06-08