Civil liberties groups think this Tennessee school district’s tech policy is unconstitutional

Civil liberties groups are asking a Tennessee school district to suspend its technology policy, saying it gives school administrators too much power to search students' cellphones and monitor their technology use, as well as limit their social media activity even when it occurs off campus.

When students bring their own devices, like smartphones, onto campus, the Williamson County school district asks parents and students to agree to allow school personnel to search them with few limitations. "The school district may collect and examine any device at any time for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this agreement, investigating student discipline issues, or for any other school-related purpose," according to the district's "Acceptable Use, Media Release, and Internet Safety Procedures" policy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and the Electronic Frontier Foundation argue that the policy for the school district just south of Nashville subjects students to "suspicionless -- and limitless -- searches" of their devices "for essentially any purpose and without any rational that justifies such a considerable intrusion."