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Children’s Surveillance Research (Ontario EdTech): Data Governance Surveillance Report (Sept 2020)

Purpose: This post provides a stable public reference for a past report on children and youth surveillance in Ontario EdTech, so it can be cited in applications and briefings.

Mark Lizar

Mark Lizar

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Children’s Surveillance Research (Ontario EdTech): Data Governance Surveillance Report (Sept 2020)

What this report is

A historical report produced during the pandemic period to document education technology tracking, notice gaps, and data governance risks affecting children and youth in Ontario schools.

Report details

  • Report title (internal): Ontario Ed: Children + Youth Surveillance Report — Pandemic case study
  • Report date: September 2020
  • Context: remote learning acceleration and rapid onboarding to EdTech systems

Core framing (high level)

  • The report focuses on an assessment of 5 schools in Toronto, focusing on the governance of surveillance technologies in Ontario schools.
    • This looked into whether there was any meaningful governance over the surveillance technologies in the schools
    • The audit discovered the use of surveillance camera's and technology without governance, but even more significant, we discovered that all children were forced to register a google id to register for school admission and eligibility.
    • This cross border tracking possess significant risks and harms to children embedded in school infrastructure, and ulimtely used to disinter mediate children. Which is explaining the effects of ungoverned digital identification technologies.
    • The audit also discovered a history of with governance issues, and previous report highlighting risks at the school board level.

Key findings (summary)

  • Platform and vendor practices were assessed as failing to provide prior notice of tracking and risk in a way that would support meaningful choice.
  • Evidence of third-party tracking surfaced during basic URL tests, without corresponding pre-collection disclosures.
  • Governance and policy layers across school, board, provincial, and federal contexts appeared fragmented, creating practical gaps in safeguards.

Full report

Canonical draft: Chidren Data Governance Surveillance Report v5 (internal reference)

How to cite

Global Privacy Rights / Access Privacy Initiative. “Children’s Surveillance Research (Ontario EdTech): Data Governance Surveillance Report (Sept 2020).” Reference post published Feb 20, 2026.

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