students

Students concerned about university spying


They’re always watching. At least that’s what the majority of students think about campus administrators when using the internet.

students
Colleges have monitored student web activity for years.

Nearly 80 percent of college students in the U.S. and the U.K. say they are concerned that university authorities might be monitoring their online activities, and that they could face punishment for what the campus officials are finding.

That’s according to a survey conducted by security software company AnchorFree. The survey polled more than 1,200 students at 523 colleges across the two countries between May and June 2013.

Forty-five percent of respondents said they were at least “somewhat concerned” that university authorities might be monitoring their online activities, while 12 percent said they were “very concerned.”

Two out of 10 students said they were “extremely concerned.”

Students aren’t wrong to be suspicious. For better or for worse, colleges have been known to monitor internet activity of their students and faculty, both on and off campus.

Some universities pay up to $5,000 per year for a program called UDiligence, which keeps track of a college athlete’s social media presence. And last year, Harvard University found itself in hot water after the Boston Globe revealed the university had secretly searched staff eMail accounts following a cheating scandal.

Take our online privacy poll on Page 3, and see Page 2 for more about student internet privacy concerns.

When asked by the survey what online activities they would be disciplined for if caught, the students had a variety of answers. Nearly half of respondents said accessing blocked content like YouTube or Facebook would land them in hot water.

Three in 10 students said using torrent sites would lead to trouble, and 16 percent said illegal downloads would result in punishment. Just under 10 percent of students claimed they would be disciplined for viewing pornography or other adult content.

Despite their suspicions, more than sixty percent of respondents that if there was a product that could grant them access to blocked internet content on campus, they would use it.

The survey revealed the students are worried about more than just administrators looking over their shoulders: 93 percent of respondents said they were concerned about someone stealing their identity. Fourteen percent said they have already been victims of identity theft.

Yet, six in 10 students admit that they surf the internet using completely unsecure public WiFi at least once a month.

“Although there is evidence that more and more young people are becoming aware of the need to protect their online privacy and security, few understand the steps they can take,” AnchorFree said in a blog post.

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Follow Jake New on Twitter at @eCN_Jake.

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