January 21, 2000
Dorm access system sparks privacy fears Matt Marlowe, Lantern staff writer
Ohio State might be violating students privacy rights with its identification card access system for campus residence halls, according to the Buckeye Privacy Coalition.
[ http://www.osu.edu/students/privacy/ ]
Every time students enter a residence hall using the new system, the university records their name in a database along with the date and time they entered the building. Its probably not something students think about as they swipe their cards, said James Moyer <James@Moyer.com>, president of the coalition, a privacy advocacy group...
The same computer processes and stores all Buck ID transactions, from when students enter a residence hall to when they buy lunch, said Valerie Shafer, director of information systems for Housing, Food Services and Event Centers.
The Buckeye Privacy Coalition wants to know why this information is being kept and what it is being used for.
[snip]
[Note from Matthew Gaylor: I can remember at work someone putting super glue on a suitably constructed key-card facsimile thus causing headaches for everyone.]