The debate about gambling in Alabama never truly seems to go away. Over the years the discussion has expanded from casino gambling to clean lottery, and now even includes sports betting.
Regardless of the name we give it, the justification always comes back to “new revenue” for our state. But the critical piece in the gaming industry debate that no one talks about is data collection and manipulation.
As we push more technology and devices into our classrooms, we’re also pushing more data collection platforms in front of our kids. Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we approach education. From personalized instructions to individualized tutoring, parents are being promised improved student outcomes based on the benefits of AI.
When technology platforms enter our classrooms, parents assume the company and tools have been thoroughly vetted. We’re told that AI is inevitable and harmless. We’re told students will work in a digital world, so schools must teach students how to operate these tools at an early age.
But behind all the buzzwords and boilerplate messages lies a troubling reality. The same systems that parents automatically assume are safe for classrooms also create unprecedented access to children, their behaviors, habits, and even personal data.
The data these platforms collect behind the screen is a highly lucrative commodity. They build entire profiles on each student, tracking behavior, monitoring engagement, and analyzing patterns – often without parents even understanding what is being collected or how the data may ultimately be used.
Companies like Meta have already proven their willingness to push boundaries when it comes to data collection and behavioral targeting. In Europe, consumer groups filed complaints alleging that Meta used highly sensitive personal data to conduct predictive analysis and deliver highly targeted advertising based on those findings.
The complaint wasn’t simply that data was collected. It was that the amount of data was so large that no person could reasonably consent to the collection.
Furthermore, the data was used to predict future behaviors of the user. When companies can predict how users are most likely to respond emotionally, financially or behaviorally, the next step is obvious: they will target those users in a way to benefit the company.
This raises serious concerns about privacy, manipulation, and the growing ability of corporations to profit from behavioral vulnerabilities.
Now consider how this applies to classrooms full of students.
I’ve talked at length about the risks with school-issued devices. Every time a student uses a school-issued device, it tracks how they think, how they respond, how long they stay engaged, and what captures their attention. Over time, this creates an extremely detailed behavioral profile, one that not only highlights what students know, but one that explains how they behave and to what they are most susceptible.
This kind of data profile is valuable to for-profit companies. It can be bought, shared, analyzed and monetized across industries, especially within the gaming industry, which targets users based on behavioral patterns.
The same techniques that keep teens scrolling on social media for hours a day are also being used by the gaming industry to keep people gambling. And these methods are becoming more sophisticated, identifying those most likely to stay, spend more, take risks, or be vulnerable to addictive behaviors.
This is not guesswork. It is targeted.
Imagine gaming companies knowing this sensitive information before these students even graduate high school. This is exactly where we are headed in the digital world.
And this is where education policy and gambling policy collide, for the more we expand AI tools in classrooms, the more we push data collection of our most vulnerable members of society. That data will not only be collected, but it will be sold to other industries, including the gaming industry.
Gambling supporters often argue that the issue is about personal choice and individual freedom. Yet how much of that “choice” remains truly independent? And how much of it is being shaped by platforms designed to influence outcomes?
I’ve shared the damages gambling inflicts on families and communities. Now I’m sharing about the technology that could make these outcomes even more predictable and profitable for the gaming industry, not just through data collection but through microtargeting.
The debate is no longer about whether we should legalize gambling. It’s about whether a deep red state like Alabama will be complicit in building a system that begins with children’s data and ultimately benefits industries that profit from human weakness.
Once this system is in place, it will not be undone. It will expand and evolve, becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish where education ends and exploitation begins. And by then, it may be too far to pull back.
We can do better in Alabama. Our children are counting on it.
Emily Jones is a candidate for Alabama State School Board District 8, and she writes regularly on education issues and parental rights in Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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