Maine Schools Turn to New App for Advanced Surveillance

When you think of school surveillance, you think hidden cameras, observant teachers, and tattletales. But now, peers' cell phones will serve as a useful way to provide proof of dangerous activity and/or perpetrators of hate crimes in Maine schools, reports the Press Herald. 

While anonymous reporting apps have been around for a while, schools across the country are just now catching on to their role in allowing peers an easy way to report suspicious activity without putting themselves in danger. Maine school districts are leading the charge with a handful of other states that intend to become more involved in investigating concerns about school violence and promoting school safety.

Just recently, the anonymous tipping app Say Something played an important role in helping authorities at Kennebunk’s Regional School Unit 21 gather information on recent racial incidents when a student submitted a video from a party. High schoolers at the party were filmed drinking and repeating variations of a racial slur, which likely would never have circulated or made it to the powers that be before the app was available for easy and anonymous submission.

Who needs Big Brother when you have classmates all around, ready at any moment to gather video of nefarious activity and forward it on in an attempt to curb school violence?