FARO stands for Frontline Record of Online Harms. Technology-related harm usually reaches the public one case at a time: a school in one country, a family in another, each easy to treat as an exception. This directory puts those cases side by side to help grassroots actors see where others face the same issues they do, and to help governments and regulators see the bigger picture of the harms occurring. The directory describes what its records contain. It does not measure how often these harms occur, and a country with few records may simply have little published about it.
How to use this directory: Topics are filterable for FARO reports that have already been created based on these incidents. The harms and response patterns shown are those featured there. To see the incidents used in a country-specific report, choose that country under Country report. Pick a pattern or evidence type to see on the map which countries have matching records. Click a country on the map or in the list to see its records below. Use the filter to search for keywords or specific sources.
Shaded countries have at least one record. Choose a pattern to see where it appears.
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Shading shows only that a country has at least one record in this directory that matches your selection, and every shaded country looks the same on purpose. It says nothing about how often these harms occur there. Pattern filters only cover records classified so far, and small countries are easy to miss on a map, so use the list as well.
Byju’s refund for engineering prep course still unpaid two months after cancellation within trial window
An adult man signed up his brother and nephew, both male students, for a Byju's engineering preparation course in June 2022, paying a Rs 15,000 registration fee after months of telesales calls. The two students found the classes unsatisfactory and requested cancellation within ten days of the 15-day trial. Almost two months later the refund had not been paid, and he said the company only responded after he posted about it on social media.
Byju’s refunds only part of fees after 7th-grade female student leaves loan-financed tutoring course within trial period
In May 2022, a male relative enrolled a 12-year-old girl, a 7th-grade student, in a three-year Byju's tutoring course costing Rs 93,000, taking a loan option offered by the company after being told he could cancel within 15 days for a full refund. The student left the course after ten days when she was assigned teachers for four subjects instead of six. According to the report, the relative received only a Rs 5,000 refund, his first-month payment of about Rs 7,700 was not refunded, and his request to close the loan account was still pending.
Consumer commission in India holds Byju’s liable after agent sold loan-financed course then an add-on ‘premium’ course for two school-age sons
A father of two school-age sons bought a Byju's online course in November 2022 by taking a Rs 1,00,000 loan. In August 2023, an agent told him the sons had been selected for an add-on premium course under a scholarship programme, said to be offline and ICSE-aligned, and collected Rs 42,000; the course was CBSE-based and online. Byju's approved a refund but did not pay it; the commission found deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and ordered a refund with 9 percent interest, Rs 10,000 compensation and Rs 10,000 costs.
Source: District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, U.T. Chandigarh (order hosted by LiveLaw)
Consumer commission in India orders Byju’s to refund parent who took personal loan for adolescent son’s exam preparation course
A mother paid Rs 85,000 in August 2023 for a Byju's college entrance exam preparation course for her adolescent son, taking a personal loan with a monthly EMI of Rs 6,084. According to the report, no study material or promised laptop arrived, and after being promised a full refund within 30 days she received Rs 1. A regional Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Telangana, India ordered a refund of Rs 84,999 with 12 percent interest and Rs 10,000 compensation.
Consumer commission in Telangana, India orders Byju’s refund after paid foundation course for secondary school student did not start as promised
A parent enrolled her teenage son in a three-year Byju's foundation course for secondary school students in October 2023, paying a portion of the fee by credit card with the remainder scheduled as installments. She alleged classes did not start for weeks, recorded content was presented as live classes, the tablet arrived late, and promised payment terms were not met. A district consumer commission in Telangana, India ordered a refund and compensation.
Consumer commission in West Bengal orders Byju’s to refund parent who financed course through agent-arranged loan
A father purchased a Byju's learning programme for his daughter, paying Rs 5,000 upfront and financing the remaining Rs 60,000 through a loan from a private finance company that, according to the consumer commission's order, was arranged by a Byju's authorised representative. After deciding within the promised 15-day trial period that his daughter was dissatisfied with the learning app, he requested cancellation and paid an additional Rs 9,498 cancellation charge. Despite assurances that no further payments would be deducted, EMI deductions reportedly continued. In September 2023, the Hooghly District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission found indications of unfair trade practices, ordered Byju's to refund the course amount and cancellation fee, and awarded Rs 5,000 in compensation for harassment and mental agony.
Course Participants of a Trading Academy Suffer Financial Losses and Debt from Unregistered Investment Advice
A specific group of course participants who subscribed to paid training programs offered by a trading academy incurred substantial financial losses after being induced to execute trades based on unregistered investment advice. The academy's director used live market trading data, price volume charts, and paid WhatsApp groups to provide direct stock recommendations under the guise of stock market education while selectively displaying only profitable trades. Additionally, some participants were solicited by the academy's staff to take out loans to pay for high course fees, which ranged up to INR 6,75,000.
Cyber Harassment and Morphed Image Distribution of a Female College Student in Odisha, India
A female college student in Odisha, India, was harassed by a family acquaintance after a marriage proposal was rejected. The perpetrator sent obscene and threatening messages to her father's mobile phone, posted defamatory pamphlets on her college and hostel walls, and created a fake Facebook account in her name to publish morphed nude photographs of her. As a result of this harassment, the victim suffered severe mental shock and trauma, was evicted from her hostel, and was forced to change colleges to escape the abuse. This incident has been included because the harassment directly affected the victim's ability to continue her education, resulting in her removal from hostel accommodation and transfer to another college.
Cyberstalking and Circulation of Morphed Photos of School Students and Teachers
A group of nine minor girl students and five female teachers at a school in Delhi were targeted by an online stalker. The stalker accessed the school's online classes and WhatsApp groups without authorization, made harassing calls and messages from fake international numbers, and circulated morphed nude and semi-nude photos of the students on Instagram.
Dental Student in Kerala Dies by Suicide Following Harassment and Extortion by Online Loan App
A 22-year-old dental student in Kerala, India, died by suicide after being subjected to mental harassment, threats, and intimidation by operators of an online loan app. The platform's operators used high-pressure recovery tactics regarding a loan of 15,000 rupees at an exorbitant interest rate. The local police subsequently registered a case of extortion and digital harassment against the online loan app.
Edtech sales executive calls parent using six-year-old child’s name; parent does not know how company obtained details
In January 2022, a mother in Karnataka, India, received a phone call from a Byju's sales executive who identified her by her six-year-old child's name and spoke in the family's local language. The mother expressed that the call was highly distressing and made her worry for her child's safety, noting she had no knowledge of how the company acquired her or her child's personal details.
Government school teacher arrested for allegedly showing obscene video on classroom screen to middle school female students
A teacher at a government middle school was arrested for allegedly showing an obscene video on a classroom screen and making vulgar gestures to female students (aged approximately 11-12 years old). The arrest followed a complaint by the father of one of the students, and a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the IPC.
IAS coaching applicant paid fees to ed-tech firm after online advertisement, received no coaching or refund; consumer commission orders repayment
An adult female applicant paid IAS coaching fees after seeing an online advertisement, but received no coaching and no refund. A consumer commission ordered repayment and compensation.
India – Students using government educational platforms were denied meaningful ability to opt out of surveillance
Some Indian state education ministries set quotas for government teachers to get a minimum number of students to download Diksha, the national education app; a Times of India report cited by HRW says Uttar Pradesh told each government teacher to convince 10 students to download it. HRW concluded that in these countries, children could not give valid, meaningful consent to the processing of their data by government-mandated platforms, because they could not refuse to use them freely without detrimental effect and had no alternative means to access their education.
Indian student compelled to use educational application that collected precise location data
The Indian Education Ministry's Diksha app, the government's main means of delivering online education during the pandemic and downloaded by over 10 million students and teachers, was found by HRW to collect children's precise location, including current and last known location. The app gave Google access to location data through two embedded SDKs and was observed sending children's advertising IDs to Google. Its privacy policy does not disclose the location collection and describes only approximate, IP-based location. Some state education ministries set quotas for government teachers to get a minimum number of students to download it. HRW said children and their parents were denied the chance to decide whether to allow the government to track their location and share it with third-party companies.
Madhya Pradesh, India – Pornographic video played on classroom LED screen
A pornographic video was played on a classroom LED screen at a public school in Madhya Pradesh, India, with approximately 13 minor students present and no teacher in the room; one student recorded the incident, which went viral on social media. Local education officials formed a three-member fact-finding committee, including two school principals, to investigate how the video came to be played and identify those responsible. The school principal reportedly claimed the incident was connected to an attempted blackmail scheme against him, though this claim has not been independently verified. This is a school-technology governance failure distinct from individual-device cases, since it involves shared classroom infrastructure rather than a personal or take-home device.
Source: Times of India / Free Press Journal / Zee News
Man Uses Voice-Changing App to Impersonate Teacher and Lure Schoolgirls
Between January and May 2024, a man used a voice-changing app to impersonate a female teacher and contact girls from Scheduled Tribe communities by phone. Posing as a teacher responsible for educational scholarships, he instructed the girls to meet him in secluded locations to discuss scholarship matters. Police allege that he sexually assaulted at least seven girls, many of them minors, using the same deception. Authorities arrested the suspect and registered cases under the POCSO Act and other criminal provisions. The case was uncovered after one victim reported the abuse to police.
Morphed obscene images of college teachers and female students circulated through paid Telegram group in Kerala
Two college students were arrested after allegedly morphing and circulating obscene images and videos of teachers and female students. During the investigation, police reportedly found child sexual abuse material on the devices of the accused, resulting in charges under the POCSO Act. Investigators alleged that the students participated in a paid Telegram group where such content was shared for profit. One of the accused allegedly collected photographs and videos of teachers and students and used them to create and distribute obscene manipulated content through Telegram and Instagram.
National child rights commission summons Byju’s CEO over alleged loan-based selling of courses to parents and children
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights summoned the CEO of Byju's to appear on 23 December 2022 after media reports that the company's sales team allegedly lured parents into buying courses for their children through loan-based agreements, with some customers saying they were exploited and put their savings at risk. The NCPCR chair also publicly alleged the company bought phone numbers of children and parents and pressured families; Byju's denied buying databases. The source reports the summons and allegations, not findings.
During an online class at a government school in India, in September 2025, a student allegedly played an obscene clip. The mother of a female student in the class complained to the school administration; she alleged no action followed and that her teenage daughter was harassed at school after she raised it, leading her to file a police complaint. The school's disciplinary committee was unable to identify who was responsible, and the cyber cell is investigating.
Parent keeps paying EMIs on financed Lido Learning subscription after classes stop, under threat of credit damage and recovery agents
Parents who financed Lido Learning subscriptions through the company's lending partners continued paying EMIs after classes stopped, according to the report. One parent was warned by the financing partner that non-payment could hurt their credit score and bring loan recovery agents to the house, and said the family shelved plans to buy a house. The child's age is not stated.
Parent loses a year of prepaid fees for fifth-grade child after Lido Learning stops classes and files for insolvency
A single mother in West Bengal, India paid Rs 36,000 in instalments for a two-year Lido Learning subscription for her fifth-grade child, but regular classes stopped in March 2022, and she said she lost Rs 18,000 outright. The company filed for insolvency with the National Company Law Tribunal in September 2022 without refunding fees, according to the report. She said she could not teach her child herself and did not think she could afford another tutor.
School principal secretly recorded female staff in restroom using mobile phone
Female teachers at a school in Chhattisgarh, India, discovered a mobile phone hidden in the women's restroom set to record video. A subsequent police complaint revealed that the school principal had been placing his phone there for two months to record the staff, leaving the female teachers distressed and fearful.
Worker’s AI project payment held after wallet account placed on hold
The worker reported receiving payment from an AI training project into a digital wallet account, which was subsequently placed on hold by the platform. Despite submitting identity verification documents, they received no response from customer support.
Worker’s platform earnings blocked by failed access verification
The worker created a wallet account to receive earnings from an AI training platform and says the funds are sitting in it. A failed document verification has blocked transactions and withdrawals, and after more than 10 days they report no concrete update from support.
Each record is a short summary of an incident described in a public source or collected through an interview by SHIELD or its partners. Records are reviewed by people before they appear here. Names and identifying details are removed: where a person appears, a role, age band and gender stand in for the name, and dates and places for minors are generalised. Every record links to its original source and shows the date that link was last checked. Records are classified with shared harm categories. The classification is SHIELD's own, so it can differ from how a source describes the incident.
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SHIELD-APS. Frontline Record of Online Harms (FARO). DIRECTORY-URL. Accessed [date]. To cite a particular selection, use the web address shown after you set the filters.
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