Internet Safety Labs

Are K12 schools giving too much control to Big Tech in education? 🧐

Google is woven into K12 EdTech more than you might think! 😬 Data from our previous US K-12 EdTech Safety benchmark found that 8.9% of K12 schools have Google Search embedded in their school’s website and 10.1% also have Google Maps embedded into their school website. 🤯

You can use the safety labels to confirm data sharing with your vendors, before, during and after the contacting process.

Need deeper insights? Contact us at: admin@internetsafetylabs.org for support or to make a suggestion.

🚨Attention Schools, Districts & State-level #SchoolTech Decision-Makers! 🚨

Concerned about the safety of apps used in your schools? Discover the underlying privacy risks with App Microscope! 🔍

🔗 appmicroscope.org

🏫 Evaluate options w/ App Microscope & prioritize safe choices for your students!

Did you know that we have a Software Safety Standards Panel? We bring together a wide array of expertise to define and maintain definitive safety standards.

If you’re interested in making software safer – this panel is for you.

Join us:
internetsafetylabs.org/get-involved/

Although teachers may have the best intentions to exposing their young students to more technology, it also means elevated privacy risks for their students! 😬 Dive into more our research from Findings Report 3 in the link below👇:

When it comes to the average number of recommended or required apps by grade level, our research found that elementary school level children had the HIGHEST average number of required/recommended apps of all school level across the board. 😳

🔗: internetsafetylabs.org/resources/re....

USENIX Security '25 Technical Sessions

📢 TOMORROW: Our Executive Director, Lisa LeVasseur, will be at USENIX Association's Enigma Conference to give a presentation entitled, "Digital Product Safety: Rejecting Software as Magic". 🪄 💫 Register for the conference here 👇: www.usenix.org/conference/u...

ISL has done extensive research into school tech safety and we thought it would be useful to compile School Safety Recommendations that encompasses app safety, web safety, & school technology practices. All of our recommendations can be found below ⬇️:

internetsafetylabs.org/resources/re...

USENIX Security '25 Technical Sessions

📢 THIS THURSDAY: Our Executive Director, Lisa LeVasseur, will be at USENIX Association's Enigma Conference to give a presentation entitled, "Digital Product Safety: Rejecting Software as Magic". 🪄 💫

There's still time to register for the conference here 👇: www.usenix.org/conference/u...

If you find our work valuable, consider supporting our mission! Your donations help us continue to provide critical insights and transparency in software safety. From $5 dollars to $25 dollars and beyond, every contribution makes a difference! 🙏

👉 Donate here: internetsafetylabs.org/donate

At Internet Safety Labs, we're committed to making the digital world a safer place. 💯 Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of software safety or find practical tools for your advocacy work, we have a plethora of research tools that can help: internetsafetylabs.org/resources/

App Microscope is a useful tool that displays safety labels for mobile applications, with over 1700 apps studied from our 2022 K-12 EdTech Safety Benchmark.

App Microscope is designed to “pop the hood” on risky behaviors found within mobile apps. Check it out here: appmicroscope.org

We recently revisited our 2022 US K12 EdTech Benchmark data and confirmed that OTS technologies outnumber licensed apps 2:1 in schools in the US. Check out the link below for things you can do to make sure those OTS apps are safe for your students ⬇️:

A new school year is upon us and ISL reminds educators and school decisionmakers that most of the technologies you recommend to students are off-the-shelf (OTS) apps with no oversight or control. 😬

internetsafetylabs.org/blog/insight...

If you find tools like App Microscope useful, please consider donating to Internet Safety Labs! Whether it's five dollars or twenty dollars, YOUR support helps us build valuable tools and research to help create a more transparent future for digital products. ➡️ internetsafetylabs.org/donate

Ever wondered about the safety of the EdTech apps your students use daily? Dive deep with App Microscope! 🔍 Discover what's really happening inside EdTech apps popular in US schools.

🔗: appmicroscope.org

Although teachers may have the best intentions to exposing their young students to more technology, it also means elevated privacy risks for their students! 😬

Dive into more our research from Findings Report 3 in the link below👇:

When it comes to the average number of required apps by grade level, our research found that elementary school level children had the HIGHEST average of required/recommended apps than any other school level across the board. 😳

🔗: internetsafetylabs.org/resources/re....

Did you know that we have a Software Safety Standards Panel?
If you’re interested in making software safer and like to dig in deep and roll up your sleeves – this panel is for you.

Join us:

internetsafetylabs.org/get-involved/

Our previous report exposes the commercial surveillance web of Identity Resolution & Customer Data Platforms, calling for accountability over their vast user data troves.

Check our findings in the link below: internetsafetylabs.org/spotlight/th...

Did you know most #EdTech apps used by K12 students are unsafe for children? That's just the tip of the iceberg! 😬

Deep dive into our research findings in our previous US K12 EdTech Product Safety Benchmark Report:

🔗: internetsafetylabs.org/resources/re...

Curious about the safety risks of mobile apps? Dive into App Microscope! With over 1,700 apps analyzed from our 2022 K12 EdTech Safety Benchmark report, App Microscope offers an insider’s look at what’s really happening inside your favorite apps.

Check it out 👉: AppMicroscope.org

Which is leakier: a leaking faucet or K12 EdTech apps used by students?

The answer may be surprising! Check out our research findings in our previous US K12 EdTech ProductSafety Benchmark Report:

🔗: internetsafetylabs.org/wp-content/u...

Last month, ISL had the opportunity to present at this year's USENIX Association's PEPR conference with a presentation entitled, “Safetypedia: Crowdsourcing Privacy Inspections".

The full video of the presentation can be viewed below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTzM...

Helpful Hint from ISL: If you see a "Do Not Sell My Information" on a website's homepage it means that company IS selling your data. 😬 If you're a California resident, be sure to always click on that button and do the needful. If you're NOT a California resident, at least you know there's a risk. 💡

At ISL, our work is fueled by a commitment to transparency—no advertisers, no tech industry investors, and no special interests shape our direction. Consider making a donation to Internet Safety Labs today! 🚀

🔗: internetsafetylabs.org/donate

We’ve compiled our data and research from our 2022 US EdTech Safety Benchmark onto Tableau for easy viewing. Search through the sample set of school districts by state to get an overview of the EdTech safety risks in the link below:

public.tableau.com/app/profile/...

At ISL, we believe it’s important to highlight the differences in technology that is “unsafe” and technology that is “weaponized.” Unsafe tech has innate behaviors that present safety risks to the people who use it, which we call Programmatic Harms.

Did you know that we have a Software Safety Standards Panel?
If you’re interested in making software safer and like to dig in deep and roll up your sleeves – this panel is for you.

Join us:
internetsafetylabs.org/get-involved/