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.
At least one matching recordNo matching recordSelected country
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.
Contractor’s account terminated and deleted with about 1,150 dollars unpaid
A contractor says they worked from July to August 2024 and are owed about 1,150 dollars, but the platform denied their request to relink a new payout account and instead terminated their account. They say their account information was later erased, their messages to support were ignored, and they ask for reactivation and payment. The platform replied the same day that it would have someone reach out.
Contributor deactivated after one night with 75 dollars of earnings withheld
A contributor says they earned 75 dollars in one night on an audio recording task, and the next day an automated system permanently deactivated their account and withheld the earnings under a vague guideline claim. They say they have a passing quality score and a screen recording of the work, and demand release of the 75 dollars. BBB lists the complaint as Unanswered by the business.
Contributor locked out of dashboard with project earnings unpaid
A contributor says his account was deactivated as inactive after the platform migrated its support system. He says he completed project tasks from 26 February to 26 March 2026, and now cannot access his dashboard, link his payment wallet or withdraw his earnings, which support his family.
Contributor missing a promised 400 dollar incentive after finishing a dataset
A contributor says they were promised a 400 dollar incentive for finishing a dataset by a new deadline but received only the 300 dollar base pay. They say they have screenshots showing they are entitled to it and that several support tickets drew no response. The platform replied on 5 March that it apologized for the confusion and had escalated the matter to its support team.
Contributor never paid after six months, account then blocked
A contributor says they spent over six months on the platform, completing large amounts of unpaid onboarding tasks, fulfilled all requirements and work, and were never paid. They say the platform then found an issue with their account and blocked it, and support did nothing to help them receive their money.
Contributor removed after 35 hours with 525 dollars held
A contributor says that after about 35 hours on a language project the platform removed them without explanation, citing guidelines violations. They say they followed the guidelines and the platform is holding 525 dollars of their pay. BBB lists the complaint as Unanswered by the business.
Contributor unpaid 9,639.74 dollars for 11 months of work after a payout method problem
A contributor says they worked for 11 months, from 1 July 2023 to 30 May 2024, about 963 hours 40 minutes at 10 dollars an hour, and were never paid because of a problem with their initial payment method, leaving 9,639.74 dollars owed. They say multiple messages to support went unanswered and the platform refused to pay. The platform replied that someone would be in touch, the complainant rejected that on 16 April because no one had contacted them, and on 21 April the platform said it had reached out about the steps required before payment.
Contributor unpaid for 35 hours after project paused, support never followed up
A contributor says a project was paused with no reason after about 35 hours of weekend work, and that the payment has not arrived. They say support repeatedly said it would contact the project lead without any follow-up. BBB lists the complaint as Unanswered by the business.
Contributor unpaid for April to August 2024 work and asking for a payout link
A contributor says they worked with the platform from April to August 2024 and have not received payment for their contributions. They ask for a new link to connect an updated payout account. The platform replied the same day that someone would be in touch. The amount is not stated.
Contributor unpaid for April to July 2024 work and asking for a payout link
A contributor says they worked for the platform from April to July 2024 and have not received the corresponding payment. They ask for a link to connect a new payout account. The platform replied the same day that someone would reach out. The amount is not stated.
Contributor unpaid for January to May 2024 work and asking for a payout link
A contributor says they worked for the platform from January to May 2024 and have not received the corresponding payment. They ask for a link to connect a new payout account. The platform replied the same day that someone would be in touch. The amount is not stated.
Contributor unpaid for May to August 2024 work and asking for a payout link
A contributor says they worked for the platform between May and August 2024 and have not received payment for that period. They ask for a link to connect their new payout account. The platform replied on 28 April that someone from its finance team would reach out. The amount is not stated.
Contributor unpaid for new project work, paid for a different project, review pending
A contributor says they worked on a project from 5 April, submitted time late, and received no payment for it, while being paid for a different project they say they were told they did not qualify for. The platform replied that the account must be reviewed, and the complainant hoped to be paid. The amount is not stated.
Contributor unpaid for video project, account disabled after escalation
A contributor says they completed a video data collection project and were not paid for months, and that their account was disabled after they escalated the overdue payment. In an update they say they have since received 90 percent of the payment, with the remaining 10 percent still under review.
Contributor with 229 hours of project work unpaid and invoices unprocessed
A contributor says they worked on a project from 1 June to 31 August 2024 at 10 dollars an hour, 229 hours 50 minutes in total, and that none of their invoices have been processed or paid, amounting to 2,298.35 dollars. They attach a screenshot of the unpaid invoice dashboard. The platform replied that someone would reach out, the complainant asked for an update, and the platform later said its team had reached out on 13 and 14 May 2025.
Contributor with unpaid earnings from April to August 2024 asking for a payout link
A contributor says they worked for the platform between April and August 2024 and have not received payment for that period. They ask the platform to provide a link to connect a new payout account. The platform replied the same day that it would ask a team member to reach out. The amount is not stated.
Contributor with unpaid earnings from several projects and no login to submit invoices
A contributor says they worked on several projects last year and still have unpaid earnings. They say the platform told them there was a problem with their payout account, which has since been resolved, but they can no longer log in to submit their invoices. The platform replied the same day that someone would be in touch. The amount is not stated.
Contributor’s 700 dollar dataset payment held after account discontinued
A contributor says they submitted a dataset for a collection project and were told a 700 dollar payment had been sent. They say it never arrived, that the platform held the funds after discontinuing their account, and that they had no reply since 10 May 2024. BBB lists the complaint as Unanswered by the business.
Contributor’s account closed with project earnings outstanding
A contributor says their account was closed while about 15 dollars was pending in it and about 300 dollars from project work was waiting to be processed. They say they emailed repeatedly from 5 July with no response and got no satisfactory explanation. The platform replied publicly, pointing them to its account review team.
Contributor’s account terminated near payment period, pay chased without reply
A contributor says that after working on a project, their account was terminated near the payment period, and they were left chasing payment between a project manager and payment support who ignored emails. The platform replied publicly that completed and approved work is owed regardless of account status and asked for a ticket reference.
Copenhagen Municipality Reprimanded by Datatilsynet Over Aula Security Failures
The Danish Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) issued a formal reprimand to Copenhagen Municipality (Københavns Kommune) regarding its use of the school communication platform Aula. The regulator determined that the municipality failed to conduct a compliant data protection impact assessment and did not fully demonstrate that appropriate security measures were implemented to mitigate risks such as unauthorized access. The investigation followed public reports that the municipality had been utilizing the platform's secure file-sharing module to store sensitive child welfare and health records without performing the necessary risk assessments.
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.
Crowd worker experiences extreme undercompensation on tasking platform
A crowd worker spent over a year working up to 15 hours daily on a tasking platform. Despite the extensive and intense labor, they received less than $100 in total compensation for the entire year.
Crowd worker undergoes unpaid labor on tasking platform
A crowd worker spent six days working 12 to 18 hours daily on a tasking platform under the guidance of an instructor. After submitting the tasks, the platform flagged 15 errors and did not pay him for his work, resulting in a total loss of his time and effort.
Crowdsourced Worker Receives Fraction of Expected Pay on Data Annotation Platform
A 26-year-old male worker received only $12 for working on a project over three workdays on an online data annotation platform. He had expected to earn $50 for his labor but received significantly less due to the platform's compensation practices.
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.
Cyberbullying and exposure of minors to explicit content in a student WhatsApp group
A WhatsApp group used by high school students reportedly became a venue for cyberbullying and exposure to sexual content. Participants allegedly mocked and body-shamed a 16-year-old girl after she shared a photograph of herself, and adult men who had joined the group distributed sexually explicit videos that were viewed by underage students. The account was later shared by an adult reflecting on the broader risks faced by children in online spaces.
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.
Danish Data Protection Authority Reprimands Five Municipalities over AULA Security Failures
The Danish Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) issued formal reprimands and enforcement orders to five Danish municipalities—Lolland, Esbjerg, Hillerød, Randers, and Frederikshavn—following an audit of their security practices on the school communication platform AULA. The regulator found that the municipalities failed to document adequate risk assessments and did not meet the minimum requirements for Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs). As a consequence, the municipalities received formal criticism, and two were ordered to complete compliant DPIAs within three months.
Danish Data Protection Authority Rules Against Municipality Over Chromebook Data Security Violations
A Danish municipality deployed Google Chromebooks and G Suite for Education in its municipal schools without conducting required risk assessments or ensuring proper privacy configurations. Consequently, the personal data of pupils was processed in violation of the GDPR, exposing them to risks of unauthorized data profiling and sharing. The Danish Data Protection Authority issued a serious criticism against the municipality and ordered it to bring its data processing practices into compliance.
Danish Data Protection Authority Upholds Ban on Google Workspace and Chromebooks in Danish Municipal Schools
The Danish Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) upheld a ban prohibiting a municipality in Denmark from processing pupil and teacher personal data using Google Workspace and Chromebooks due to high privacy risks. The regulator determined that the municipality had failed to adequately analyze and mitigate data transfer and security risks, particularly concerning potential unauthorized data processing by the technology provider. As a consequence of the ban, teachers and pupils at municipal schools were blocked from using their primary digital teaching and learning tools at the start of the 2022/2023 school year, severely disrupting planned educational activities.
Data Annotation Worker Blocked from Accessing Earned Compensation
A 36-year-old male data annotation worker accumulated over $150 in payments for completed work on an online data annotation platform. He was suddenly booted from the platform and lost access to his account, resulting in his earned wages being permanently withheld.
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.
Using the directory
You are welcome to read, link to and quote individual records with credit to FARO. Please do not copy, scrape or republish the dataset in bulk, or use it to train or test automated systems, without written permission. To ask for permission, use the SHIELD contact form. The original sources keep their own rights, and the link on each record leads to them.
How to cite
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.
When you rely on the facts of an incident, cite the original source it links to. When you rely on the classification, the patterns or the country report, cite FARO. Please describe the records as documented incidents and do not present counts or country coverage as how often these harms happen. A country with few records may simply have little published about it.
Corrections and removals
If a record is wrong, a link no longer works, or you are described in a record and want it changed or removed, use the SHIELD contact form and include the title of the record. We review each request and update or remove the record where the request is justified.
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