Bristol student must end pro-Palestine attendance app boycott or risk cancelled visa

Marie has been boycotting the app made by Israeli developer since last February

1 month ago | UPDATED 1 month ago

The University of Bristol has informed a student boycotting its attendance app may lead to their visa being cancelled if they fail to use the app to register their attendance.

Final year student, Marie, has boycotted the use of the app, which is made by Israeli app developer Ex Libris, in part of a protest in solidarity with Palestine.

In meetings with the university, Marie was told that their case would escalate and their “visa may be curtailed (cancelled)” if they did not begin to use the software.

A sociology student from Norway, the university had allowed Marie to take photos to prove their attendance in lectures and seminars, along with the lecturers’ confirmation.

This year however, they have since been informed that they must use the app to register their attendance or risk their case being escalated to the Student Visa Compliance Officer and Academic Registrar.

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In meetings with the university engagement monitoring system explaining the alternative evidence they could provide, Marie was told via email last week: “You must start using the check-in app, and we will closely monitor your attendance at your timetabled activities. If you do not use the app to check in to your teaching events, we will be required to escalate your case to the Student Visa Compliance Officer and Academic Registrar and your visa may be curtailed (cancelled).”

Last year, Student Action Bristol wrote an open letter calling for a boycott of the check-in app, calling on the university to “boycott and divest from corporations complicit in Israeli apartheid and genocide.” The letter also raised concern over the apps used to monitor international students, bringing their visas under threat if their attendance is imperfect.

Following this letter, Marie began boycotting the app due to its links to Israel, and in an effort to encourage the university to “cut its links with the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

Additionally, they added how the app is “an invasion of privacy,” and said “it is ridiculous to use specific location technology to monitor adult students attendance.”

The basis of the university’s demand to use the check-in app is section 1.2.5. of the student agreement which explicitly states compliance with the university attendance monitoring systems. However, Marie claimed that students do not have a choice: “You have to sign the agreement to register as a student and attend any teaching.”

University attendance systems operate to monitor the engagement and well-being of students, however, Marie claims the check-in app functions as a penal system “infantilising students” rather than checking on the wellbeing of students.

They said: “It functions purely to punish students, especially students with visas.”

The use of the app applies to all students, however the repercussions for not using it are more extreme for international students. One UK home student OZ told The Bristol Tab he has also not been using the check-in app but has not seen his case escalated to the same extent. The university did however inform him if asked they would tell future employers of his attendance records from the app.

The University of Bristol said in the same email: “Prior to introducing the app, attendance was taken by lecturers which unfortunately led to issues around reliability of and incorrect attendance data. The app was introduced to give students the responsibility for recording their attendance”

The app was procured after identifying CampusM by Israeli company Ex Libre as the “strongest available provider,” adding “This process wouldn’t have considered whether the company was based in Israel as the University doesn’t have a position of boycotting.”

In response to this Marie exclusively told The Bristol Tab: “Most importantly for me is the fact that the university is continuing to use the app, despite admitting there were other alternatives because it doesn’t take a position of boycotting.

“As an academic institution which continuously teaches us about the importance of resisting colonialism and violence, it’s my personal belief that it should take a boycotting position”

A spokesperson from the University of Bristol said: “It’s important that we register attendance at lectures and seminars. Checking in to classes is one of several ways we can monitor how students are engaging with their studies and if they are not attending, we may contact them to understand why and offer support if appropriate. This is the case for both home and international students.

“We’ve always registered attendance and in the past, this has included physical or online registers and UCard swipes. In addition, UK Visas and Immigration requires that students sponsored by universities have engagement with their studies monitored and reported to enable their visa sponsorship to continue.

“The University of Bristol app is a simple way for students to let us know they are attending their classes. The location of the device is only recorded at the time the check-in button is pressed. It is not recorded at other times and the app does not track students’ locations.

“Bristol joins several other universities who are already using this student-led approach to capturing attendance. The use of the app, and the decision to use this particular platform, was fully assessed by the University. The data collected is minimised to satisfy attendance purposes only. The University is not collecting data or using the app in a way that makes the data accessible to third parties.”

Ex Libris has been approached for a comment.

Laura Butler | News