Since last year, Leiden Uni has put up 350 “Classroom Scanners” all over campus. Though they are only intended to count the number of students, it has become apparent that they can also track the walking ways, estimate people’s height, age, gender and mood.

Not only has there been a lack of communication between the University and the students and staff, but there has also been a lack of security detected when it comes to the accessibility of the footage recorded.

Furthermore, this is an infringement of our privacy and happened without consent.

To add to this, the university spent thousands of euros on the cameras, while funding has been retracted from other areas. To give an example, the university has stopped funding CARE, and there has been a leak in the roof of the big Wijnhaven lecture hall for weeks.

We, the students and staff, hereby urge the university to take down the cameras.

Source: https://www.mareonline.nl/en/background/suddenly-there-are-smart-cameras-everywhere-and-they-see-everything/ and Leiden University website