A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against Lawrence Public Schools by nine students, claiming that the district's AI surveillance tool, Gaggle, violates student privacy. Gaggle monitors communications on the district's Google Workspace, flagging potential safety risks like mentions of self-harm and drug use. However, it also censors benign phrases and intercepts student journalism. The lawsuit highlights issues with student privacy, as mental health emails and creative work have been inappropriately accessed without explanation.
The AI surveillance tool, called Gaggle, sifts through anything connected to the district's Google Workspace and flags content it deems a safety risk, such as allusions to self-harm, depression, drug use and violence.
The lawsuit alleges that the tool was used to intercept attempts at student journalism, stating, 'Students' journalism drafts were intercepted before publication, mental health emails to trusted teachers disappeared, and original artwork was seized from school accounts without warning or explanation.'
Collection
[
|
...
]