Students raise privacy concerns over using QR codes to get into bathrooms

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - In this day and age, QR codes are everywhere. You'll see the little squares displayed in advertisements, in restaurants, and even on the corner of FOX 11's newscasts.

It has also made its way into schools. However, a tracking policy implemented at a high school in Huntington Beach leaves students raising privacy concerns, particularly when they're required to use QR codes to get into bathrooms.

"When you ask to use the restroom, you have to go and take your phone up, scan the QR code, and then they make you put the phone back down and then you have to go use the restroom," a student at Edison High School told FOX 11's Hal Eisner. "You can't even look at your own timer to see if you're running out of time or not.

The QR-code policy is among the changes implemented at Edison High School at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. 

Some students are still angry and feel like it's a privacy infringement that they've been circulating a petition on change.org saying the policy goes against the government's duty to protect the health and safety of students. Others adds the policy is unconstitutional. 

"I think it's completely disgraceful," said another student.

"I think it's insane," a third student FOX 11 interviewed said.

On the flipside, the policy allows the school to track where the students are.

"There's been a lot of problems of kids just going and messing around, talking to their friends when they should be in class," said Megan, a student.

FOX 11 made calls and texts to Edison High School and the school district administrators but could not be reached for comment at the time of the Oct. 14 newscasts.