Unmasking EdTech's Surveillance Infrastructure in the Age of AI
In December 2024, PowerSchool, a leading provider of cloud-based software that manages student grades, attendance, and records for K–12 schools, detected unauthorized access to its Student Information System, the administrative backbone for approximately 16,000 schools serving nearly 50 million students across North America. By January 2025, the scope of the breach became clear: more than 62 million student records and nearly 10 million teacher records had been exfiltrated, representing the largest breach of children’s data in US history.
The compromised data extended beyond basic identifiers. Names, addresses, birthdates, and contact information sat alongside Social Security numbers (SSNs), medical conditions, disability accommodations, individualized education plans, disciplinary records, and family income data linked to free and reduced lunch programs. For millions of children, their most sensitive educational and personal information, data they never consented to provide and cannot revoke now circulates in underground markets and, increasingly, as inputs to AI systems.
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