Here’s a story below from SANS NewsBites Vol. 14 Num. 94. A high school in Texas is RFID ing students as a means of funding. In addition to the unexpected use of this technology, what I find most interesting about the story is that because it’s a public school, the issue potentially becomes a Constitutional violation. Were it a private school (or company), the matter would be much more restricted in it’s scope, but because it’s a state run agency, the issue become much more complex.
“Texas HS Student Fighting Suspension for Refusing to Wear RFID Nametag (November 21 & 23, 2012) A Texas high school student has been suspended for refusing to wear an RFID badge. The Northside Independent School District’s John Jay High School’s Science and Engineering Academy in San Antonio implemented the RFID program to increase state funding. Schools in Texas receive funding based on student attendance; the tags can be used to determine that students are present at the school even if they are not in class. A Texas judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking the girl’s suspension pending a hearing scheduled for this week. Student Andrea Hernandez and her parents say that requiring her to wear the tag is a violation of her First Amendment rights.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/11/student-suspension/
…In apparent protest, individuals claiming association with the Anonymous hacking collective have taken down the school’s website http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/27/annymous_takes_down_northside_independent_school_district_as_revenge_for_rfid_tracking/ “