By Aim's data protection experts

January 2021

 

As a result of the new lockdown my children are home learning. Regardless of the platform that’s being used a key component is face-to-face communication which requires video and sound. Now, although I don’t believe it’s as effective as classroom teaching, I have no issues with this method of delivery. The school have a licence to use the platform, they have individual usernames and passwords for the children and it’s secure. In addition, there’s a home school agreement which details key rules and guidelines to make the experience safe and enjoyable.

 

Whilst helping my children I have observed some lessons, and in particular the galleries of their classmates during those lessons. Some cameras are turned off, but generally there are 15 or so faces peering back at us, including the teacher and a classroom assistant. Behind each of these faces there are rooms, bookcases, windows and pictures, and sometimes I can hear background conversations about events in the household, and the names of the other residents; mostly pretty innocuous. If I was curious, and I am, I would try to figure out something about the families of these children. Over time I could determine the number of people there, their names, the type of accommodation, for example, some live in flats – I can tell this if there’s a window, some have lots of books, some none, there are blank walls, posters and pictures, and style choices from the sublime to the bizarre.

 

Is there anything that might be more revealing… perhaps. I am reminded of a story in the news a couple of years ago, where the residents of Hawaii were sent running for cover after a false alarm about an incoming ballistic missile. At the time the authorities suggested the alert was due to an employee mistake, but it later emerged that an Associated Press photo from six months earlier of the Emergency Management Agency headquarters contained the image of an employee, their screen, and attached to it a post-it note with a password. Now it might be coincidence, but it seems unlikely, and it is this sort of unthinking action that can cause problems. From what I see on screen during the school lessons, or from calls with colleagues or customers, I can get a lot of information that might help me if I want to be nosey, curry favour, or commit a crime. So I beg you to consider other conversations and what’s behind you when you’re communicating online, and don’t let others know things you might rather remained personal.

 

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