Online Safety

Custom illustration by Stuart Briers showing two identical male figures sitting in a chair with a computer dot matrix pointing to different parts of the body. The background depicts soundwaves, a play button, speaker icon, eye, and ear.
Stuart Briers for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence From Our Research Center Why Schools Need to Wake Up to the Threat of AI 'Deepfakes' and Bullying
Schools are underprepared to deal with a deluge of AI-created videos that harm the reputations of students and educators.
Olina Banerji, December 9, 2024
11 min read
Deepfake deep learning fake news generator modern internet technology concept
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Student Well-Being Students Are Sharing Sexually Explicit ‘Deepfakes.' Are Schools Prepared?
A report from the Center for Democracy & Technology explores tech-powered sexual harassment in schools.
Lauraine Langreo, September 26, 2024
3 min read
Close up photo of Black teen looking at Instagram photos on her cellphone.
Anastasia_Prish/Getty
Privacy & Security What Teachers Need to Know About Changes to Instagram Teen Accounts
The adjustments come as Meta faces multiple lawsuits from states and school districts.
Lauraine Langreo, September 20, 2024
4 min read
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Curriculum Opinion There’s a Better Way to Teach Digital Citizenship
Many popular resources for digital-citizenship education only focus on good online behavior. That’s a problem.
Alexandra Thrall & T. Philip Nichols, August 20, 2024
5 min read
A drowning hand reaching out of a cellphone for help
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Student Well-Being Online Sexual Exploitation Is a Growing Threat to Kids. What Schools Can Do
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas talks about new resources to help schools tackle the problem.
Arianna Prothero, August 15, 2024
4 min read
Illustration
F. Sheehan for Education Week + Getty
Classroom Technology Then & Now How the 'Sexting' Panic Previewed Today's Debate About Kids' Cellphone Use
As technology evolves, one axiom stays the same: Schools must help students weigh how to responsibly fit it into their lives.
Evie Blad, July 30, 2024
7 min read
A drowning hand reaching out of a cellphone for help
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Ed-Tech Policy When Schools Want to Ban Cellphones—But Parents Stand in the Way
Educating parents on the real threats cellphones pose to their children can help allay their concerns about safety.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 21, 2024
5 min read
A student holds a cell phone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
A student holds a cellphone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Cellphone Headaches in Middle Schools: Why Policies Aren't Enough
Middle schoolers' developmental stage makes them uniquely vulnerable to the negative aspects of cellphones. Policies alone won't help.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 14, 2024
6 min read
Vector illustration concept of a cyber criminal with laptop stealing user personal data while a woman expresses frustration.
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Teaching Profession Explainer What Is Doxxing, and How Can Educators Protect Their Privacy Online?
Keeping personal and professional information separate can be difficult for teachers, experts say.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 9, 2024
7 min read
Signage is shown outside on the grounds of Pikesville High School, May 2, 2012, in Baltimore County, Md. The most recent criminal case involving artificial intelligence emerged in late April 2024, from the Maryland high school, where police say a principal was framed as racist by a fake recording of his voice.
Police say a principal was framed making racist remarks through a fake recording of his voice at Pikesville High School, a troubling new use of AI that could affect more educators. A sign announces the entrance to the Baltimore County, Md., school on May 2, 2012.
Lloyd Fox/The Baltimore Sun via AP
Artificial Intelligence Deepfakes Expose Public School Employees to New Threats
The only protection for school leaders is a healthy dose of skepticism.
Olina Banerji, May 8, 2024
7 min read
Image of a red glowing caution sign over a dark field of data.
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Privacy & Security 3 Superintendents Share Cybersecurity Best Practices
Cyberattacks cause major disruptions to learning, but school districts are still struggling to put in place effective protections.
Lauraine Langreo, January 10, 2024
3 min read
Girl using smartphone with notifications of social media icons
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Classroom Technology Under Fire From Lawsuits, Meta Looks to Make It Harder for Teens to See Harmful Content
Educators have demanded social media companies do more to mitigate the damage their platforms have done to students’ emotional well-being.
Alyson Klein, January 9, 2024
4 min read
Illustration of individual carrying binary data on his back to put back into the organized background of 1s and 0s.
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Artificial Intelligence Q&A AI Is Making Data Literacy a 'Survival Skill' That Schools Must Teach, Experts Argue
A new survey found that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults don't understand how their data is being used.
Lauraine Langreo, November 16, 2023
4 min read
Photo of teacher helping students with their tablet computers.
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Teaching Q&A Schools Are Teaching Digital Literacy and Citizenship. But Are They Doing It Right?
New research illuminates how schools are tackling digital and media literacy as tech plays an increasingly larger role in students' lives.
Arianna Prothero, July 13, 2023
4 min read