Students Under Surveillance: Big Data Policing and Privacy Rights.

This article examines the rise of big data policing—also known as predictive or intelligence-led policing (ILP)—in American public schools, focusing on its implications for student privacy and Fourth Amendment rights. It highlights the Pasco Sheriff's Office (PSO) ILP program in Florida, which used school records and risk factors to identify youth "destined for a life of crime," raising concerns about preemptive criminalization, lack of transparency, and racial bias. The article discusses legal challenges related to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and constitutional protections, emphasizing the need for policy reforms to regulate law enforcement access to student data. It calls for increased transparency, accountability, and further research to address systemic inequities and protect student privacy in the context of expanding surveillance and policing in schools.