TAKE BACK YOUR PRIVACY

You probably didn’t expect to be under constant surveillance when you started school. Yet here we are - in a world where your every keystroke might be monitored, your webcam can be activated during tests, and your online activities are tracked in the name of “safety” and “academic integrity.”

This isn’t just about catching cheaters or keeping schools secure. This is about your fundamental right to learn and grow without constant monitoring. Think about it:

• When you’re afraid every website you visit is being logged, how freely can you research sensitive topics for a paper?
• When your keystrokes are recorded, how comfortable are you drafting and revising your thoughts?
• When your social media is monitored by school officials, how can you develop your own identity?

You’re at a critical point in your life - a time for exploration, for making mistakes, for figuring out who you are. This journey requires privacy. It requires the freedom to ask questions without fear, to explore ideas without judgment, and to develop your own thoughts without surveillance.

You Have Rights

Your school might not have told you this, but you have legal rights to privacy. You have the right to know what data is being collected about you. You have the right to protect your personal information. Most importantly, you often have the right to opt out of surveillance systems that aren’t essential to your education.

Why We’re Here

We’re a group of students, educators, and privacy advocates who believe that privacy is essential for learning. We’ve created this resource to help you understand your rights and take action to protect them.

You’re not alone in this. Thousands of students across the country are pushing back against invasive surveillance. Some have successfully gotten their schools to adopt more privacy-respecting policies. Others have won the right to opt out of monitoring systems.

Your education shouldn’t come at the cost of your privacy. Let’s work together to protect both.