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.
Iran – Students using government educational platforms were denied meaningful ability to opt out of surveillance
A teacher in Marivan told HRW that students had been told that if they were not in the Shad app, their scores would not be approved or sent to the school. Shad was built by the Education Ministry and reported more than 18 million active users in October 2021. HRW concluded that in Iran, Turkey and India, 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.
Japan – student forum evidence of porn access on school iPad via home WiFi
Multiple anonymous posts on a Japanese Q&A forum show students discussing access to pornographic content on school-issued iPads, including one post explicitly describing watching pornographic videos on a school iPad via home WiFi, and others asking whether such access would be detected by school filtering or monitoring systems. These are first-person, self-reported accounts.
K-12 Students and Parents File Class Action Lawsuit Against Google Over Education Device Privacy Violations
A group of K-12 students and their parents filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Google LLC, alleging that the company's educational products, including Chromebooks, ChromeOS, and the Chrome browser, unlawfully generated, collected, used, and shared their personal data without consent [1.1]. The plaintiffs alleged that this unauthorized collection and sharing of their data resulted in severe privacy invasions, violating wiretap, computer access, and consumer protection laws while they used the devices for school.
Kenyan Data Worker Loses Savings for Newborn Baby After Account Closure
A female Kenyan data worker had her online earnings frozen and her account permanently closed after her employer and a digital payment provider blocked transactions. As a consequence, she saw her savings for her newborn baby taken away.
Kenyan data workers unable to access PayPal balances, with no notice or explanation
Data workers reported being unable to access PayPal balances and receiving no explanation for holds.
Source: Data Labelers Association
Date source link verified: 22/10/2026
Gig workers pay locked
KenyaAcademic research
Kenyan Gig Worker Faces Housing Crisis After Online Platform and Payment Service Freeze Earnings
An adult male Kenyan data worker had his online earnings frozen and his account permanently closed after a payment service provider and his employer blocked transactions. As a result, he was unable to afford his rent, was forced to seek shelter with a friend, and had to depend on others to survive.
Lawsuit against Google over school Chromebook design enabling online child exploitation
A school-aged girl in California filed a lawsuit against Google LLC. Using her school-issued Chromebook, she created a Discord account and was targeted and sexually victimized by an anonymous user for weeks until her father discovered the abuse.
Lawsuit Against IXL Learning for Unauthorized Student Data Mining
A group of K-12 students and their parents filed a lawsuit against educational technology company IXL Learning, alleging that the platform generated, collected, used, and shared students' personal and tracking information without consent. The software tracked student activity during school-required use, resulting in an invasion of privacy and unauthorized exposure of personal data. A federal judge denied the company's motion to force the dispute into private arbitration, ruling that schools cannot bind families to such terms.
Lawsuit Filed Against Google Over Student’s Pornography Addiction via School Chromebook
A school-aged student in Utah, United States, developed a debilitating pornography addiction through cumulative exposure to harmful content on a school-issued Chromebook. The student's family filed a lawsuit against Google LLC, alleging that the device's design failed to block, and instead promoted, pornography to serve Google's data-monetization business model.
Leaked National Exam Paper Sold and Distributed via Messaging App
A former A-Level student in Zimbabwe was charged after allegedly selling and digitally distributing a stolen national Economics examination paper ahead of the exam. Prosecutors alleged that the paper had been removed from a printing facility by a examinations council employee and then photographed and shared through WhatsApp in exchange for payment. The leaked paper reportedly spread widely among students before the examination, prompting arrests and legal proceedings.
An educator reported students receiving inaccurate or culturally inappropriate information from AI systems during educational activities. The consequence described was misleading educational content. This is a personal interview. Source available to SHIELD.
Source: SHIELD - APS
Date source link verified: 16/10/2026
Technology in Education
IndiaNews article
Learning app loan deductions continued after cancellation; consumer forum orders refund and compensation
A parent had loan deductions continue after cancellation linked to a learning app. A consumer forum ordered a refund and compensation.
Source: Indian Express (summary shown on Ground News)
Long-time contractor unpaid 250 dollars for a May 2024 project plus older invoices
A contractor of several years says they have not been paid 250 dollars for a project completed in May 2024, and that unpaid funds remain in past invoices as well. They say they emailed from the summer and filed tickets on 16 September, 15 October and 8 November without a useful response. The platform replied on 30 December that it had escalated the matter and that a response might not come until after the holidays, and in January the complainant said later emails still went unanswered; BBB lists the complaint as Unresolved.
Long-time freelance worker’s withdrawal of marketplace earnings frozen for a month
An adult male freelance worker of over five years says his withdrawal of earnings from a freelance marketplace has been frozen for a month after he tried to link a bank account. He says support wrongly marked his active bank account as closed and the case has sat with a higher department for 30 days. He describes the money as his livelihood.
Low-Income Family Facing Financial Hardship and Educational Exclusion Due to Mandatory iPad Scheme
A parent in North West England reported that a secondary school introduced a mandatory iPad scheme requiring Year 7 students to purchase a £600 device or enter a three-year payment plan. The school stated that the device was required to access the curriculum and initially told the family that there were no alternatives. The parent, concerned about affordability in a low-income community, questioned whether requiring families to fund an expensive school-managed device was appropriate or lawful.
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
Male Student Bypasses Parental Restrictions and Watches Videos on School-Issued Laptop
A male student in Pennsylvania developed a screen addiction that severely strained his relationship with his father. Despite his father's attempts to limit screen time by removing personal devices, the student bypassed these restrictions by watching online video content on his school-issued laptop.
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.
Middle school student allegedly accesses classroom projectors to display inappropriate and racist content
A school district in California, USA, confirmed that a middle school student accessed the projectors in three classrooms to display racist images and an inappropriate video. Parents reported similar incidents in recent months, including one where a student allegedly streamed pornographic content. Parents noted that students were able to cast content from their mobile devices to classroom screens over the school's Wi-Fi network.
Middle-school students compromise teachers’ electronic register credentials to alter grades, Italy
Middle-school students in Italy obtained the register passwords of at least four teachers and made at least 40 unauthorized accesses, turning failing grades into top marks and giving high-achieving classmates very low grades. A teacher noticed an anomalous low grade recorded for a usually strong student, which triggered an internal investigation. At publication, the school had taken no measures and filed no complaint, deferring decisions to class councils in April. Action against the students involved remains pending, and it is unstated whether register access controls were changed.
Ministry note bars homework posted on the electronic register in the evening or at weekends
Students reported through repeated surveys on a student portal that homework kept arriving via the electronic register, email or chat after school hours: 62% said it happens often, 14% said it is the norm, and 54% received homework digitally after lessons ended in June. On 28 September 2026, the Ministry of Education sent schools a note, in force for 2026/2027, requiring homework to be set in class before lessons end and ruling out register entries in the late afternoon, evening or at weekends that force students and families to keep checking for updates. It also asks heads to plan tests collegially and to favour students' disconnection from digital devices. The response acts on all schools and on how teachers use the tool. Whether register software settings were changed is not stated in source.
Minor student suspended and threatened following viral video circulation
In April 2022, a ten-year-old student was coerced into a sexual act by classmates during a school trip, which was filmed and widely circulated on social media. The school responded by suspending the minor and allegedly threatening her to prevent her from speaking out.
Source: Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative
Minor suffers severe addiction, physical injury, and academic decline from engagement-optimized video games
A minor developed a severe video game addiction after prolonged exposure to online video games designed with psychological engagement loops and reward systems. As a result, the child experienced physical injuries, severe emotional distress, academic decline leading to school absence, and extreme withdrawal symptoms including physical outbursts and rage. The child's parents filed a civil complaint against several video game developers and publishers, alleging that they intentionally designed their platforms to hook young users.
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.
New Zealand – harmful content accessed despite significant school device safety investment
Researchers found that harmful content could be accessed on school-issued iPads used by primary school pupils, raising concerns about the effectiveness of online safety controls on educational devices.
Nigerian Freelancer’s Client Payment Indefinitely Frozen by PayPal
A Nigerian user had a client payment of $100 indefinitely frozen by a digital payment platform. As a consequence of the freeze, they were unable to recover or access the money.
In 2020, an adult male Nigerian tech entrepreneur had his account with a global payments platform abruptly closed. As a result of this sudden closure, he lost USD 15,000.
Nigerian User Suffers Financial Loss Due to Cumulative PayPal Account Restrictions
Between 2019 and 2021, a Nigerian user experienced severe restrictions on a digital payment platform. As a result of these restrictions, they reportedly lost thousands of dollars in frozen funds and transaction limitations.
Nine-year-old student subjected to location tracking and behavioral profiling through compulsory online schooling
A nine-year-old student in Istanbul and his mother told HRW that his teacher required him to use online learning platforms every day to be marked as attending school during Covid-19 closures. HRW's opening account of his school day describes tracking technologies on his school's online learning platform, including location tracking, advertising technology companies receiving information about his use of the virtual whiteboard, and a social media platform accessing his phone's contact list. The report says neither he nor his mother knew about this.
North Carolina, USA – filter bypass demonstrated to school administration
An 8-year-old male third-grade student in North Carolina, USA, was shown by older students on a school bus how to access an age-inappropriate video game on his school-issued device, which subsequently led his mother to discover he could also reach sexually explicit images and content. After a school technology administrator assured her this was impossible, the mother demonstrated the bypass directly to the school's vice principal and sent explicit findings to the principal, who responded only that continued device use was necessary to avoid the child falling behind academically. The mother's account, which aired in a local TV segment, states the district acknowledged its web filtering system exists but conceded it does not reliably work. This case is notable for documenting an explicit, demonstrated failure of institutional response even after a parent proved the vulnerability directly to school leadership.
Norway – elementary school students able to access pornography on school-issued tablets
A parent reported that children began showing pornography to each other in the classroom after physical books were replaced with iPads connected to the open internet. The school responded by offering trauma counseling. The reported consequence was exposure of students to pornographic material and resulting distress. This is a personal interview. Source available to SHIELD.
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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