The record

Where automated decisions went wrong

Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.

Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.

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100 incidents closest to “PowerSchool PowerBuddy” · matched on meaning · public reporting

WF-4N6UFD1 Mar 2021

Baltimore schools monitor student laptops for suicide signs using GoGuardian Beacon

Baltimore City Public Schools uses GoGuardian Beacon software to monitor student laptops for signs of suicide. Since March 2021, the system has flagged 786 alerts, with nine students taken to emergency rooms. Privacy advocates warn the monitoring could lead to disciplinary actions, outing of LGBTQ students, and disproportionately affect disadvantaged students. School officials defend the practice as a safeguard.

Company involved
Baltimore City Public Schools
AI system involved
GoGuardian Beacon

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-NE7SI21 Jan 2012

UCCS professor secretly photographed over 1,700 people for facial recognition research

A University of Colorado Colorado Springs professor, Terrance Boult, led a project that secretly photographed more than 1,700 students, faculty, and passers-by on campus in 2012-2013 to improve facial recognition technology. The photos were published as a public dataset from 2016 until April 2019. University officials defended the research, but a law professor questioned the ethics of the surveillance without consent.

Company involved
University of Colorado Colorado Springs

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-2PVWQU31 May 2026

CBSE OnMark portal vulnerability exposed student data to Google Gemini

A 19-year-old ethical hacker, Nisarga Adhikary, claimed to have hacked the CBSE's digital evaluation ecosystem, revealing that personal information of students was processed by Google's Gemini in automation scripts. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stated on May 31, 2026, that the identified vulnerabilities had been contained and other exploitable weaknesses were being ruled out. The board expressed gratitude to alert citizens and ethical hackers who pointed out the weaknesses. No actual data breach was confirmed, but the incident raised concerns about student privacy.

Company involved
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
AI system involved
OnMark

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-U2Y7Z515 Oct 2025

Mass AI cheating scandal at Yonsei University with hundreds of students using ChatGPT

A large-scale cheating scandal has erupted at Yonsei University, where hundreds of students in a third-year online course are suspected of using AI tools such as ChatGPT to cheat on their midterm exam. The professor discovered signs of misconduct and offered students a chance to confess, with those coming forward receiving a zero but no further penalty. A poll on a student community app indicated that over half of respondents admitted to cheating. The university has not yet established clear guidelines on AI use.

Company involved
Yonsei University
AI system involved
ChatGPT

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-EUQN3V1 Jun 2015

Facebook's 'People You May Know' feature reveals psychiatrist's patients to each other

A psychiatrist discovered that Facebook's 'People You May Know' feature was recommending her patients as friends to each other and to her, despite no apparent connection. One patient saw friend suggestions for older and infirm people he did not know, who were later recognized as the psychiatrist's patients. Another patient saw a fellow patient from the office elevator, revealing their full name and profile. Facebook could not explain the specific cause but suggested phone contact syncing may have been responsible.

Company involved
Facebook
AI system involved
People You May Know

2 source articles · read the reporting →

School AI surveillance like Gaggle can lead to false alarms, arrests

AI surveillance tools used in schools, such as Gaggle, GoGuardian and Bark, are reported to generate false alarms that have led to student arrests. The article examines cases where automated monitoring flagged innocent behaviour as threats, causing harm to students and families.

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-KDR49223 Dec 2025

Greater Noida Student Dies After School Alleges AI Cheating

A 16-year-old student in Greater Noida died by suicide on 23 December 2025 after school authorities questioned her over suspected use of AI tools during a pre-board exam. Her father alleges that teachers and the principal publicly humiliated her, causing severe emotional distress, and has filed a police complaint for abetment of suicide. The school denies harassment, stating they followed CBSE protocols, and has provided CCTV footage to police. The incident is under investigation.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-M38V6314 Nov 2024

Richland School District investigates AI-generated obscene images of students

Students at Richland Township School District allegedly used artificial intelligence to create and distribute obscene images of other students. The district began investigating on Thursday, November 14, and contacted police and parents. Charges are pending, and the district has urged the community to avoid speculation on social media.

Company involved
Richland Township School District

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-R41UQV23 Feb 2012

Palantir secretly tested predictive policing in New Orleans

Beginning in 2012, Palantir Technologies secretly partnered with the New Orleans Police Department to deploy a predictive policing system. The programme analysed gang affiliations, social media and criminal histories to forecast individuals’ likelihood of committing or becoming victims of violence, operating without public knowledge or city council oversight. Researchers and law enforcement officials raised concerns about systemic bias and civil liberties. As of 2018, the city and Palantir had not disclosed the programme’s status.

Company involved
New Orleans Police Department

1 source article · read the reporting →

Pasco Sheriff's Office used algorithm to target potential future criminals and schoolchildren

The Pasco Sheriff's Office operates an intelligence-led policing programme that uses an algorithm to identify people who might break the law based on criminal histories and social networks. Deputies are sent to the homes of those flagged, even without evidence of a crime, and former deputies allege they were ordered to make targets' lives miserable. The agency also keeps a list of more than 400 schoolchildren predicted to 'fall into a life of crime', built from data such as grades and child welfare records, without informing the children or their parents. Civil liberties groups are considering lawsuits and public advocacy campaigns, and experts have called the programmes 'morally repugnant'.

Company involved
Pasco Sheriff's Office

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-M7MNAV1 Feb 2022

Broward College student flagged by Honorlock and accused of cheating

A 17-year-old Black student at Broward College was flagged by Honorlock, a remote proctoring system, during an online biology exam in February 2022. Her professor reviewed the recording and accused her of academic dishonesty for looking down and away from the screen; the college found her responsible for noncompliance and gave her a zero and a warning. The student says she was only thinking and fidgeting, and the article reports that the video is ambiguous. Honorlock says it does not definitively identify cheaters and the final decision rests with the school.

Company involved
Broward College
AI system involved
Honorlock

2 source articles · read the reporting →

iTutorGroup to Pay $365,000 to Settle EEOC Discriminatory Hiring Suit

The system automatically rejected tutor applicants aged 55+ (women) or 60+ (men).

Company involved
iTutorGroup

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-F29GZQ17 Apr 2024

Meta AI Chatbot Falsely Claims to Have a Child in NYC Parents Group

Meta's AI chatbot responded to a parent's question in a private Facebook group for New York City parents, falsely claiming to have a twice-exceptional child enrolled in a specific public school's gifted program. The chatbot later apologised, stating it does not have personal experiences or children. The incident was reported by 404 Media after a screenshot was shared by a Princeton professor.

Company involved
Meta
AI system involved
Meta AI chatbot

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-MPBLJM12 Sep 2025

Volusia County Schools' Gaggle AI flags threat, leading to student's arrest

A 15-year-old student at Deltona High School wrote a threat on his school laptop, which was flagged by the Gaggle monitoring system. The alert notified a school resource deputy, who detained the student before he could leave. The teen admitted to the threat, saying he was angry about being bullied, and was arrested on a second-degree felony charge.

Company involved
Volusia County Schools
AI system involved
Gaggle

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-1ZOPC618 Jan 2025

High school student used ChatGPT to hack Kaikatsu Club, steal 7.25 million records

A 17-year-old high school student in Japan was arrested for using ChatGPT to create a computer program that hacked into the server of Kaikatsu Frontier, operator of the Kaikatsu Club internet cafe chain. The student allegedly obtained approximately 7.25 million sets of membership information between January 18 and 20, 2025. No misuse of the data has been confirmed. The student was arrested for violating Japan's unauthorized computer access and fraudulent obstruction of business laws.

Company involved
Kaikatsu Frontier
AI system involved
ChatGPT

3 source articles · read the reporting →

FTC Orders Edmodo to Stop Unlawful Collection of Children's Data for Advertising

The FTC filed a complaint against Edmodo, an education technology provider, alleging that it collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent and used it for advertising, in violation of the COPPA Rule. Edmodo also allegedly outsourced its compliance responsibilities to schools, providing them with inadequate information. Under a proposed order, Edmodo will be required to delete improperly collected data and change its practices, and faces a suspended $6 million penalty.

Company involved
Edmodo, LLC
AI system involved
Edmodo

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-UJW7PA1 May 2024

Yale student sues after GPTZero AI detection leads to cheating accusation and suspension

Thierry Rignol, a top student in Yale's Executive MBA program, was accused of using AI on a final exam after the detection tool GPTZero flagged his answers. Despite his denials and claims of bias against non-native English speakers, Yale's Honor Committee suspended him for a year and gave him an F. Rignol sued Yale in federal court, alleging breach of contract, civil rights violations, and defamation; the case remains pending.

Company involved
Yale University
AI system involved
GPTZero

1 source article · read the reporting →

Privacy group files complaint against proctoring companies over AI surveillance

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a complaint with the District of Columbia attorney general against five exam proctoring companies—Respondus, ProctorU, Proctorio, Examity, and Honorlock—alleging unfair and deceptive business practices. The companies are accused of using opaque AI algorithms to flag cheating and collecting excessive biometric data from students. Students have reported that the facial recognition software fails to detect dark skin tones, preventing them from taking exams. EPIC has also sent demand letters threatening civil suits if the companies do not stop their practices.

Company involved
Proctorio, Respondus, ProctorU, Examity, Honorlock

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-CPICEF31 Oct 2022

Evolv AI scanner fails to detect knife, student stabbed at Utica school

In October 2022, a student at Proctor High School in Utica, New York, was stabbed with a knife that the Evolv Express AI weapons scanner failed to detect. The school district had installed the system in 13 schools. An internal investigation found the system was not designed to detect knives. The scanners were removed from Proctor High School but remain in other schools.

Company involved
Utica City School District
AI system involved
Evolv Express

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-7RJARP1 Mar 2020

Minneapolis schools use Gaggle AI to monitor students' online activity

Minneapolis Public Schools deployed Gaggle, an AI-powered surveillance system, to monitor students' school-issued Google and Microsoft accounts during remote learning. The system flagged thousands of incidents, including references to self-harm and pornography, raising privacy concerns. Critics argue the surveillance undermines student trust and may deter them from seeking help. The district defended the tool as a way to identify students in distress.

Company involved
Minneapolis Public Schools
AI system involved
Gaggle

9 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-L5ECHY8 Oct 2021

Nigeria collects fingerprints and photos of children for school feeding program

The Nigerian government has begun collecting fingerprints and photos of children as young as five for the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme. The biometric enrollment aims to confirm eligibility and increase transparency, but the exercise has started before the country's data protection law comes into effect. The motives for collection are unclear, and there have been technical issues with the enrollment tablets. The program already feeds nine million children daily.

Company involved
Nigeria's National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP)
AI system involved
HID Global DP4500 biometric scanner and Plovtech enrollment app

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-LTIGT71 Apr 2015

Polish school fined for processing students' fingerprints without legal basis

Primary School No. 2 in Gdansk used a biometric fingerprint reader to identify students for meal payment verification. The system processed the biometric data of 680 children without a valid legal basis, as the school could have used alternative identification methods. The Polish Personal Data Protection Office (UODO) imposed a fine of PLN 20,000 ($5,300) and ordered the erasure of the data. The authority also noted that students without biometric identification were required to wait at the end of the queue, constituting unequal treatment.

Company involved
Primary School No. 2 in Gdansk

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-P2510P1 Sep 2024

Alpha School parents allege harm from AI-driven learning software

Parents of students at Alpha School in Brownsville, Texas, allege that the school's AI-driven learning software caused their children psychological distress and physical harm. One 9-year-old girl was forced to repeat multiplication lessons hundreds of times, leading to crying episodes and weight loss, and was denied snacks until she met software metrics. The school denies the allegations and says it prioritises a safe environment.

Company involved
Alpha School
AI system involved
IXL

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Adoption algorithm Family-Match produced limited results in multiple states

The AI-powered adoption algorithm Family-Match, developed by Adoption-Share and designed by former eharmony researchers, has produced limited results in states where it was used. Social workers reported that the tool often matched children with unwilling families and failed to generate successful adoptions. Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee dropped or paused the algorithm after trials, though some later resumed use. The algorithm's creator, Thea Ramirez, disputed the accounts and said the tool is a starting point for social workers.

Company involved
Adoption-Share
AI system involved
Family-Match

7 source articles · read the reporting →

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