It often seems like the perils to our privacy and security online are not just growing, but are outpacing analogous perils to our existence in the real world. I don’t think I’ve come across a term to encompass digital agoraphobia, but it must be an anxiety disorder in its own right.
The reason this option is offered here is that Gartner (2021) has identified the “Privacy-Enhancing Computation” as a top ten technology (below), so perhaps a tipping point is near.
Opportunity Statement:
What would it be like for a learner – or an educator – to feel unburdened and unthreatened by malicious entities in their digital world?
Sources:
Gartner Top Ten Technologies 2021: Privacy-Enhancing Computation
Privacy and security have become impossible to ignore in K–12 education. Not a day goes by without an urgent message landing in my inbox: phishing attempts, alerts about spam campaigns, breaches in standardized testing platforms, accidental exposure of student files, or reminders that staff have unknowingly logged into sites that compromise district security. Even routine tasks—such as entering student data into systems like QGlobal—now come with evolving protocols and heightened scrutiny. The list feels endless, and the stakes continue to rise.
While I try not to respond with fear or avoidance, it is increasingly clear that privacy and security are no longer peripheral concerns; they are becoming central pillars of educational practice. Beyond the emails, I have watched administrators in my division spend a growing portion of their time “putting out fires” directly related to digital safety. These issues are no longer rare disruptions—they are part of the daily operational reality of schools.
And then there are the students. As every educator knows, students will always find a way. Whether it’s accessing accounts that aren’t theirs, falsifying posts, or experimenting with digital mischief, their creativity often outpaces our safeguards. This only reinforces the need for thoughtful, proactive approaches to digital literacy, cybersecurity education, and responsible technology use.
I welcome a world in which none of the above apply.
In Ontario, the government has introduced Bill 194 (the full title is the Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act), which requires PSE institutions to have robust cyber security processes and policies, conduct Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) any time student data is collected. In particular, the bill requires PSEs to have public disclosures, risk assessments, and accountable humans for all AI implementations. Privacy and security are going to be central to any future ed-tech developments.
In the recent years, with the development of AI and internet, cyber security has become significant factor to individuals. As mentioned by Cherri above, not only that my emails/textboxes are filled with spams, but also I received spam calls almost every single day. On top of that, with SNS being a predominant part of almost everyone’s lives, it is difficult to ignore how everyone is at risk.
As an educator, I believe it is crucial to not only raise awareness but also to educate our children on how to protect themselves from such risks and make sure they make an informed judgements. However, still, a lot of schools in Hong Kong do not foresee the significance of educating our children on privacy and security of themselves but also of others. As can be seen from the news, there has been rising cases of hacking personal devices and threatening individuals. Personally, I have also experienced an incident where students made a fake SNS page of me with secretly taken photos. Despite having to raise this as an issue, it was not appropriately addressed by the school.
As the future comes, the more digital our world gets, the more important our privacy and security will be. And it is inevitable for this market to be useful for educators, as well as learning technologies specialists and venturers relevant to digital learning.