Internet Filtering & Student Monitoring · Grades 6–8

Securly

Internet filtering, browsing monitoring, and AI-powered "wellness" alerts on every school device

Owned by: Securly Inc. — VC-backed

Every website
Visited on school device is logged
AI analysis
Of content for "wellness" flags
VC-backed
Venture capital funded
CIPA
Federal law requiring school internet filtering

Securly is an internet filtering and student monitoring platform installed on school-managed devices. It filters websites, logs browsing activity, and uses AI to flag content related to self-harm, bullying, violence, or other safety concerns — sending alerts to designated school administrators. LMSD uses Securly on student Chromebooks. While internet filtering is legally required under the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Securly goes well beyond basic filtering into active surveillance — reading and AI-analyzing the content of every website a student visits on a school device, including searches and communications.

The Full Picture

The Good

  • CIPA compliance — federal law requires schools to filter internet access on school devices; Securly satisfies this requirement
  • Genuine safety value: AI monitoring has flagged students expressing suicidal ideation who then received timely intervention
  • Blocks access to pornography, gambling, and other clearly inappropriate content on school devices
  • Granular filtering controls allow LMSD to customize what is blocked by grade level
  • Parent portal (Securly Home) gives parents visibility into their child's school device browsing

The Bad

  • Securly reads the content of every website a student visits — this is surveillance, not just filtering
  • AI "wellness" analysis of browsing content means a machine learning algorithm is reading and categorizing everything a student searches for or views
  • Mental health monitoring on a school device can create chilling effects — students who need to research mental health topics for themselves or a friend may avoid doing so for fear of triggering an alert
  • Securly is VC-backed — browsing data from millions of K–12 students is commercially valuable
  • The parent portal (Securly Home) shows parents their child's school browsing history — creating potential for parental surveillance that exceeds what is appropriate for adolescent development

The Worse

  • A complete log of every website a middle schooler visits on a school device — including searches about identity, sexuality, health, family problems, and mental health — is among the most sensitive possible data about a child
  • This data is held by a VC-backed company whose business model depends on school subscriptions — and whose investors may seek a return through acquisition
  • AI "wellness" flags are not infallible — false positives can stigmatize students who searched for benign content that the algorithm misclassified
  • Students on school devices at home (homework, evenings, weekends) are surveilled in their home environment — a significant expansion of school monitoring beyond the school day
  • There is no clear mechanism for a student to contest or have removed an erroneous wellness flag from their Securly record
  • Settled a class action lawsuit (May 2026) alleging Securly collected student location data and video viewing history without consent and sold it to third parties for targeted advertising — undisclosed settlement amount

Class Action Lawsuit: Student Data Sold Without Consent

Settled May 2026 — undisclosed amount

Two California parents filed a class action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on behalf of students in San Diego County schools. The complaint alleged that Securly collected student location data, video viewing history, and personal communications from school-issued Chromebooks without authorization, then sold that data to third parties and used it to build targeted advertising and marketing campaigns.

The lawsuit cited violations of California privacy law and the federal Video Privacy Protection Act. It sought more than $5 million in total damages, with up to $12,500 per student plaintiff. Securly denied the allegations.

In May 2026, Securly agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to end the litigation. Federal magistrate judge Michael S. Berg recommended the settlement be approved, calling it "fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the child plaintiffs." (Bloomberg Law, May 28, 2026.)

Bloomberg Law: Settlement report → K-12 Dive: Original lawsuit filing →

Privacy Deep-Dive

Browsing Logs

Every URL visited on a school Chromebook is logged, timestamped, and retained — content of pages may be analyzed by AI

AI Wellness Monitoring

Securly's AI analyzes page content for keywords and patterns related to self-harm, bullying, violence — alerts sent to school administrators

At-Home Monitoring

School Chromebooks running Securly monitor browsing when used at home, evenings, and weekends

Parent Portal

Securly Home allows parents to see their child's school device browsing history and set additional filters

Data Retention

Browsing logs retained per district configuration — can be months to years; wellness flags retained in student record

VC Ownership

Venture capital backed; browsing data on millions of students is a significant business asset in any acquisition

Surveillance concern: Securly does not just block inappropriate content — it logs and AI-analyzes everything your child views on a school device, including at home. Ask LMSD: (1) How long are browsing logs retained? (2) Who at the district has access to a student's full browsing history? (3) Are wellness flags stored in the student's permanent record? (4) What happens to all this data if Securly is acquired?

What It Replaces in the Classroom

AI wellness monitoring
↓ on a screen
School counselors trained in recognizing at-risk student behavior, with clear referral pathways
Browsing surveillance
↓ on a screen
Media literacy education that teaches students to make responsible online choices
Automated safety alerts
↓ on a screen
Teacher and counselor relationships where students feel safe to disclose concerns directly
Parent browsing portal
↓ on a screen
Open family conversations about online safety and device use agreements

Questions for the District

How long does LMSD retain Securly browsing logs for each student, and who has access to a student's complete browsing history?
Are Securly wellness alerts stored in a student's permanent educational record (PowerSchool), and do they follow the student to future schools?
Does Securly monitoring apply when students use school Chromebooks at home after school hours and on weekends?
What is LMSD's policy for parents who want to opt their child out of Securly monitoring when using the school device at home?
Has LMSD reviewed the false-positive rate of Securly's AI wellness flags, and what is the process for a student to contest an erroneous flag?
In light of the May 2026 class action settlement alleging Securly sold student location and video data without consent, has LMSD reviewed its contract with Securly and obtained assurances that LMSD student data has not been shared with third parties for commercial purposes?

Sources

  • Securly Privacy Policy — securly.com/privacy
  • Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) — fcc.gov
  • EFF: Student Monitoring and Digital Surveillance — eff.org
  • Common Sense Privacy Evaluation — Securly — commonsense.org
  • LMSD COPPA Vendor List — lmsd.org
  • Bloomberg Law: Securly Agrees to Pay Undisclosed Sum to End School Spying Suit (May 28, 2026) — bloomberglaw.com
  • K-12 Dive: Class action lawsuit claims Securly violated students' privacy — k12dive.com

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