Using our patented geofencing technology to prevent inappropriate photography on school grounds, contributing to the realization of a safe educational environment.

【Key Points of This Matter】

• Automatically disables personal smartphone camera functions on school grounds
• Restricts camera function activation from all apps to ensure thorough privacy protection
• Utilizes our patented geofencing technology (International Publication No. WO2009/096561) to detect faculty entry/exit and enable automatic control
• Thoroughly protects student privacy, fostering mental well-being and a safe educational environment

Our company is launching a smartphone camera function automatic control solution that integrates with the geofencing feature of our cloud-based MDM (Mobile Device Management) service “BizMobile Go!”. This solution applies our patented technology (International Publication No. WO2009/096561) to address recent incidents of inappropriate photography by faculty and staff.

This solution automatically disables all camera functions on personal smartphones owned by faculty and staff when they enter school grounds and re-enables them when they leave. This thoroughly protects the privacy of children and students, contributing to their mental well-being and the realization of a safer educational environment.

Development Background

In recent years, multiple incidents of staff members secretly filming students have been reported, making the protection of student privacy and ensuring their safety in schools an urgent priority. While smartphone use is increasing in educational settings, personal devices are often used for work purposes. This highlights the growing importance for schools to appropriately manage and supervise such use while respecting staff privacy.

IoT-EX has begun developing solutions to address these societal challenges. Leveraging the technology and expertise cultivated through mobile device management for corporations and organizations, we are creating solutions centered around our patented technology to meet the specific needs of school environments.

Solution Overview

This solution is realized by leveraging the following features of “BizMobile Go!”.

• Patented Geofencing Technology: Establishes a virtual boundary (geofence) around school grounds. Our patented technology (International Publication No. WO2009/096561) enables the system to automatically detect with high precision and stability when faculty members’ smartphones enter or exit this area.
• Application Control Function: Enables granular control over the functionality of applications installed on smartphones. This solution disables camera activation and photo/video capture not only for the standard camera app, but also for any other app, including LINE and SNS apps.
• Automatic Policy Enforcement: Integrating with geofence location data, it automatically applies a policy disabling camera functions while faculty/staff smartphones are within school grounds. Upon leaving the grounds, the policy is automatically lifted, restoring camera functionality.

Benefits of Implementation

• Preventing Covert Photography and Strengthening Privacy Protection: Whether intentional or not, this prevents inappropriate photography on school grounds before it occurs, providing robust protection for students’ privacy. By restricting camera access from all apps, it achieves seamless security with no loopholes.
• Reducing Psychological Burden on Faculty: Faculty can focus on their duties with peace of mind, free from unnecessary suspicion regarding personal smartphone use.
• Streamlining School Operations: Eliminates the need for manual camera function restrictions, reducing the burden on administrators.
• Creating a Safe and Secure School Environment: Clearly demonstrates the school’s commitment to safety measures to parents and local residents.

Implementation Track Record

Our geofence solution has already been implemented in the following industries, with its effectiveness proven across diverse field environments.

• Airline: Permits specific app usage on ground staff tablets only within airport premises, ensuring information security while contributing to operational efficiency and digital transformation. Used at 240 airports worldwide.
• Super General Contractor: Automatically disables camera functions on craftsmen’s personal smartphones (BYOD) upon entry to construction sites, prohibiting photography in high-security areas.
• Electronics Retailer: At over 1,000 domestic stores, the use of the internal phone app is restricted to within the store. To prevent unauthorized removal from the store, loss, or theft, the app automatically switches to a state where it cannot be used outside the store.

Future Outlook

IoT-EX will strengthen its support for safely and effectively promoting ICT utilization in educational settings, starting with this solution. We will contribute to realizing a safe and secure educational environment, with further functional expansions in view that contribute to school operations, such as faculty attendance management and emergency safety confirmation. We will also propose a wide range of uses, including restricting devices purchased by parents for use only on school grounds and managing student attendance. The Android version is scheduled for release in October 2025.

This solution is also available for resale. By actively recruiting partner companies, we expect to accelerate its adoption in more schools, contributing to the establishment of safe and secure educational environments nationwide.

For details on this solution, please visit the service site “BizMobile Go! for Education”.

URL: https://www.bizmobile.co.jp/education/