COLUMBUS, Ohio-A bill recently passed by the Senate and under House consideration in Ohio aims to restrict access to school-issued computers outside of school hours and monitor students’ web browsing. Sponsored by Sen. Stephen Huffman, the bill seeks to prevent surveillance software from being used after school hours.
It prohibits location tracking, audio or visual monitoring, and web activity monitoring, with exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, and compliance with laws. Parents must be notified within 72 hours if a device is accessed. The ACLU supports the bill but suggests expanding it to include all K-12 schools and protecting against unreasonable search and seizure of student-owned devices by school staff. There has been no opposition testimony in either chamber.
