10 Shocking Ways Universities Might Be Secretly Watching You Right Now

Privacy concerns are at the forefront of everyone’s mind, the place you’d least expect to be under surveillance might just be the one watching you the closest: your university. They don’t want you to know it, and they don’t want us to tell you. System administrators cover their tracks and the faculty/staff avoid discussion of the student surveillance topic. It goes against common advice for us to share this information, in depth, publicly. The findings of our privacy research are kept secure and exclusive inside Incognito Browser, for your eyes only – download the app to access the report.

With advancements in technology and an increasing emphasis on security, educational institutions have adopted a variety of methods to keep an eye on their students. Some of these methods might just surprise you. Below, we’ve highlighted ten shocking ways universities could be monitoring your every move, right now.

1. Proctoring Software Gone Too Far

Many students are familiar with proctoring software for exams, but did you know some versions can track your eye movements and even record you in your own home?

2. Wi-Fi Tracking

Your campus Wi-Fi does more than just connect you to the internet. Some universities use Wi-Fi to track the location of students based on their device’s connection points.

3. Social Media Monitoring

Thought your social media was private? Think again. Certain universities have software to monitor student social media posts for security purposes.

4. License Plate Recognition

Driving to class? Some campuses use license plate recognition technology to track who comes in and out of the parking lot.

5. Email Snooping

University-issued email accounts are convenient, but they may also be monitored, with schools scanning for security threats or inappropriate content.

6. Classroom Surveillance Cameras

Not just for safety, some of these cameras are sophisticated enough to monitor student attentiveness and even detect unusual behavior.

7. Smart ID Cards

Those student ID cards might track more than just your meal plan and library checkouts. Some include RFID technology to track your movements across campus.

8. Body Cameras on Security Personnel

Security personnel on some campuses are equipped with body cameras, adding another layer of surveillance that many students are unaware of.

9. Online Learning Analytics

Universities can track how and when students interact with online learning materials, potentially using this data to gauge student performance and engagement.

10. Listening Devices in Public Spaces

Some campuses have installed listening devices in public spaces, ostensibly for security purposes, but these devices can also collect conversations.

These examples barely scratch the surface of the pervasive surveillance technologies found on campuses nationwide. While some methods are instituted with safety and educational benefits in mind, they also raise significant privacy concerns.

Wondering if your university is watching your every move? Our comprehensive research report delves deeper into these practices and reveals which universities have been documented or accused of employing them. You might be surprised at what we found. To discover more and see if your institution made the list, download the Incognito Browser app to view the team’s exclusive “Is Your School Spying On You?” privacy research report today. Protect your privacy, stay informed. Read the shocking research report before we are forced to take it down.