Court Sides with Dad After School Bans Student’s AirTag: Full Story!

In a landmark case from Fayence, Var, a father has successfully challenged his son’s school over their decision to prohibit him from giving his son a GPS tracker for safety during school commutes.

A Ruling Against the Ban

Last year, the incident began when a father placed a GPS beacon in his primary school son’s backpack after the child ended up alone on his way home from school twice. I’m not worried when he’s at school, but I am about the commute, he told Nice Matin.

During a school trip, the school discovered the device and confiscated the tracker, citing the law from August 5, 2018, that bans mobile phones in educational institutions. The father argued that the Bluetooth beacon, being a passive device, was far from a disruptive smartphone.

With the situation at an impasse, he took the matter to the Toulon administrative court, which sided with him in July. The judge’s ruling noted that banning the device was a serious and unlawful infringement on the child’s best interests, particularly infringing on parents’ rights to protect their children as they see fit.

A Legal Victory, Yet…

However, by the next school term in September, the school persisted with its ban, even incorporating it into their internal regulations. The father filed another in-depth legal challenge to assert his rights. He emphasized: This isn’t about confrontation. I’ve always sought dialogue. But now, it’s about clear legal principles: the school administration cannot ignore a judicial ruling.

The Nice academy has acknowledged the court’s decision, stating that it will naturally be enforced, while also reminding that the use of such tracking devices during school hours is generally discouraged for privacy and collective security reasons.

For or Against?