Schools throughout the U.S. have been instructed to monitor their students on social media and report any unruly or “troublemaker” students to the police. Authorities say that social monitoring software known as Snaptrends is being used to prevent cyberbullying, suicide and violence amongst students – but critics say the “safety argument” is being used as a cover to allow for the mass surveillance of students outside of school. Reason.com reports: The chairman of the school board in Orange County (Fl.) was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel as saying the use of of the software to snoop on kids was a “no-brainer,” adding, “I think we have a moral obligation in every sense of the word to monitor social media for threats to our students or schools.” However, the district refused to disclose how the software is used, “citing exemptions in open-records laws regarding security.” You don’t have to be Edward Snowden to be concerned that a school having the power of unaccountable surveillance could present opportunities for abuse. Would it be so hard to imagine an antsy kid who’s annoying to school administrators facing expulsion over a stray Facebook reference to “weed”? In Huntsville (Al.), the school district expelled 14 [...]