Generative AI is a huge challenge for educators around the world and schools today face immense pressure as a result. They are expected to leverage AI and digital tools to enhance learning outcomes, streamline administration, and prepare students for the future, but at the same time, they need to decide which technology is safe to use.
This dilemma has pushed many schools to hastily adopt the latest technologies without proper due diligence – often lured by flashy ‘edtech’ tools that promise innovation but fail on privacy and compliance, or staying with existing providers who try to “pivot” yet may no longer offer the strongest security or privacy safeguards.
Too often it results in student data – including highly sensitive information – being exposed or misused by these platforms as they have grown too big, too fast or not designed with child safety in mind in the first place.
“A good edtech partner can bring in needed expertise that can minimize the risks associated with the adoption of digital solutions. But the edtech industry is changing quickly. Even if a school has worked with a firm for years, academic leaders should constantly reevaluate their needs to make sure their partner is still the right choice.” – AACSB wise quote back in 2022.
Just as nectar sustains life, photos nourish our memories and identity.
As many of you may be aware, I’m passionate about safeguarding children’s photos to ensure this nourishment doesn’t come at the cost of children’s safety.
As a dedicated supplier to K-12 schools, we sometimes feel worn down when we hear questions from schools that reveal either a lack of understanding about what’s required to protect digital photos safely in a school environment—or, at times, a lack of concern. When it comes to handling digital media featuring children, a specialised solution is absolutely essential—not an off-the-shelf or hastily ‘pivoted’ product that is trying to fit the unique needs of education. It’s the difference between using a scalpel or kitchen knife when performing surgery: one is precise, safe, and designed for the task; the other is improvised and carries real risk.
Student photos are more than just images; they are personal data, often including sensitive information that can uniquely identify individuals. Laws such as GDPR and the Australian Privacy Act exist to protect data privacy. More specific laws, such as the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), are designed to protect individuals in the age of AI. An ongoing U.S. litigation case involving another photo management company highlights that providers who fail to maintain proper privacy safeguards can face not only a poor reputation but significant penalties, class action lawsuits, and even the risk of bankruptcy.
Why, as a supplier, we have to sometimes say no
Some schools may feel frustrated when we decline requests for certain features, such as direct posting to social media. But once we explain our reasoning—that while convenient, it exposes school-owned content to serious risks by pushing original files out of a secure platform and into public channels where schools lose control—they understand. Every decision we make is guided by what best protects the school and, most importantly, the child.
Requests to monetise student images, analyse emotions, or post directly to social media carry ethical, legal, and reputational risks. Some providers continue to pursue these opportunities, but doing so compromises student privacy and exposes children and their identities to new and potentially more harmful risks.
At pixevety, our ethos is clear: protecting children’s data is non-negotiable. We will not work with a school that does not share this commitment or whose privacy practices are questionable. On several occasions, we have advised prospective customers to explore other platforms when it is clear their primary purpose is to use our system purely for marketing purposes, and not to protect student photos.
Privacy & Security-1st by Design
Our platform prioritises:
- Privacy-first design: Recognised for privacy-by-design, our platform ensures data is collected, stored, and used only for essential educational purposes.
- Parental and student control: Our self-managed tools allow parents (on behalf of students) to maintain control over how their child’s media is used by the school.
- Ethical responsibility: We say “no” to practices that could exploit or expose children, even when there is commercial opportunity.
This means we refuse to facilitate photo sales, emotion-tracking, direct social media publishing, or use of student data to feed AI models for commercial purposes. While other platforms may choose otherwise, we believe they are placing their school and students at risk.
Here’s what to look for in an EdTech Supplier…
Our team just won The Educator’s Service Provider Award in Security Software.
We won this award because we have spent quality time building strong long-term partnerships with our schools and have stood by our ethos.
“Working with the right technology suppliers goes way beyond just finding a good deal. You need to develop long-term, strategic relationships with companies that understand your institution’s goals, provide scalable solutions, and support continuous innovation.” – quote from E&I Cooperative Services on ‘Choosing the Right Technology Partners’.
Thank you to all our wonderful schools who continue to support us.
When selecting a platform to handle student media, schools should ensure their provider:
- Has no history of exploiting data or breaking data protection laws.
- Collects and stores only necessary data and avoids any commercial exploitation.
- Supports informed consent capture from parents or guardians (where legally required).
- Has robust privacy and security practices, including encryption, virus and malware scanning, content moderation, consent and controlled access.
- Has formal certifications in privacy and security, annually audited by external auditors (such as ISO27001).
- Avoids using student data for AI training, research, or commercial purposes.
- Demonstrates an ethical approach to data processing and has a proven track record of putting student welfare first.
Our team of highly trained and dedicated professionals have been committed to helping schools manage student photos and media safely, securely and to support compliance with privacy law – and we have been doing so for well over a decade. Our system is built from the ground up to safeguard children’s data, and that commitment has gained international recognition, most recently a British Data Award for GDPR-level data protection!
