Schools are installing “spying” software that “actively listens” to pupils, to crack down on vaping, bullying and rowdiness in toilets.
The sensors can be programmed to listen for certain keywords through machine learning algorithms, which trigger alerts to chosen staff members.
One firm selling the equipment says they can “monitor staff so you can deal with incidents such as bullying by colleagues”.
But Big Brother Watch’s senior advocacy officer Madeleine Stone said that “secretly monitoring school bathrooms is a gross violation of children’s privacy and would make pupils and parents deeply uncomfortable”.
