NSW education department caught unaware after Microsoft Teams began collecting students' biometric data
The New South Wales education department was caught by surprise when Microsoft began collecting the voice and facial biometric data of school students using the Teams video conferencing app in March.
Late last year, Microsoft announced it would enable data collection by default, commencing in March, for a Teams feature known as voice and face enrolment.
Voice and face enrolment in Teams creates a voice and face 'profile' for each participant in Teams meetings, which the company said improves the audio quality, reduces background noise, and enables the software to tell who is speaking in meetings by recognising their voice and face.
The data is also fed into Microsoft's large language model CoPilot to improve accuracy in transcription or summaries when that is enabled in those meetings.
The NSW education department website states Teams is used by schools as 'a hub for teachers and students to engage, create, interact, and collaborate'.
'It's a one-stop communication platform that combines chat, video meetings/lessons, file storage, assignments and integration of multiple applications,' the website states.
Guardian Australia can reveal that when the voice and face enrolment for Teams was switched on in March, the department was caught unaware for a month.
'A new Microsoft Teams feature that allowed voice and facial enrolment for people entering Teams meetings was quickly disabled across our network, and any face or voice recognition profiles that were created have been removed,' a spokesperson for the education department said.
The feature was switched off in April and the profiles were deleted within 24 hours of the department becoming aware that voice and facial enrolment was enabled.
The education department did not answer questions about the number of students or staff who had biometric data collected on them in the time it was available, or if those affected had been informed.
One concerned parent who alerted Guardian Australia to the matter expressed concern that despite the reassurances the department had given them about the data being deleted and the feature switched off, other parents may not have been aware it had been collected in the first place.
Microsoft retains a copy of the data while a user is enrolled and a user can choose to delete the profile at any point. If a user deletes their Teams account, Microsoft states on its website that it deletes the biometric data within 90 days.
Sign up to Afternoon Update
Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters
after newsletter promotion
Rys Farthing, the director of policy and research at the research organisation Reset.Tech Australia, described the collection of biometric data of children as 'a real worry'.
'That young people's biometric data was unnecessarily collected creates real concerns – those students now have a lifetime to live with those risks,' Farthing said.
'Was this data used to train their AI after it was collected? Are we sure it wasn't disclosed or shared while it existed, and that all copies of it have been deleted? Data is like toothpaste, it's hard to put it back in the tube once it's been collected.
'This just shows why we need stronger protections around children's data, especially around preventing excessive collection. It's worrying stuff.'
Microsoft declined to comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Bunnings is slammed for 'dehumanising' move: 'You are treated like a number'
Bunnings has come under fire as it becomes one of several large Australian retailers to use artificial intelligence in its recruitment process. The application process involves a chat and video interview powered by Sapia AI, a tool designed to screen candidates. According to Sapia's website, the technology was 'built on the foundation of making hiring inclusive, efficient and effective'. Bunnings describes the AI interview as comparable to a traditional phone interview with a recruiter, but highlights several benefits. 'You can take all the time you need and edit your answers until you're happy with them,' the company explains in its FAQ for job applicants. 'There are usually five questions, and most people finish in about 30 minutes.' For those who don't have access to the required technology, Bunnings reassures candidates they 'can arrange an alternative format for you to complete the same interview questions'. The retailer emphasises that the AI interview is designed to be fair and impartial, focusing solely on responses to a standardised set of questions. Sapia is used by a number of businesses across Australia, including Woolworths, Qantas, David Jones, Suncorp and Starbucks. It was founded by Barb Hyman, a former HR executive who is based in Melbourne. Sapia claims that companies using its software are saving up to 20 hours a week in recruitment time, while also cutting the time-to-hire in half. They report a 90 per cent satisfaction rate among job applicants. Recruiter Tammie Ballis, who owns Realistic Careers, expressed scepticism about the approach, calling it 'dehumanising'. 'It's a cost-cutting feature, it's also a screening tool,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'You are treated like a number now more than ever, especially if you are applying to jobs for the big retailers.' She did acknowledge that businesses were trying to save money, saying the HR process is often 'expensive'. A screenshot of a job advertisement promoting the use of Sapia AI was shared to Reddit where social media users were divided 'My suggestion to you as a recruiter is don't touch the big retailers, you are more likely to get a personal and human experience when applying to a small or medium sized business,' Ms Ballis said. A screenshot of a job advertisement promoting the use of Sapia AI was shared to Reddit, where social media users slammed the change. 'Pro-tip: If they were actually interested in hiring you, they'd speak to you in person. Don't put up with this dehumanising c***,' one wrote. 'We're cooked,' another wrote. 'It won't be long before people are selling optimal answers for AI interviews, it'll be like SEO for Google,' a third added. 'As long as someone knows the key words/phrases they'll nail the interview.'
Times
11 hours ago
- Times
Students ‘will spend 25 years on their mobiles'
Students are set to spend 25 years of their life glued to smartphones, a survey of phone use in education predicts. The average person in school, college or university spends five hours and 30 minutes a day on their mobile — and could clock up 25 years of screen time if their habits don't change. For the 4 per cent of students who spend nine hours or more on the phone every day, that rises to 41 years on the device. The research was conducted over the first five months of this year by Fluid Focus, which aims to help people manage their screen time. Its figures are based on a waking day of 16 hours and 72 years of smartphone use from age 11 to 83.
Geeky Gadgets
16 hours ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Beginner's Guide to Obsidian in 2025 : Organize Your Notes Like a Pro
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information you need to manage daily—whether it's work tasks, personal projects, or creative ideas? In a world where knowledge is power, staying organized can feel like an uphill battle. That's where Obsidian comes in. This powerful yet approachable tool offers a fresh take on knowledge management, combining the simplicity of plain text files with the sophistication of features like backlinks and graph views. Unlike cloud-based apps that lock your data into their systems, Obsidian puts you in control with its local-first approach, making sure your notes are private, secure, and entirely yours. Whether you're a student, a professional, or a curious mind looking to untangle your thoughts, Obsidian has something to offer—and this how-to will show you how to make the most of it. In this beginner-friendly guide crafted by CreaDev Labs, you'll discover how to transform a blank slate into a dynamic system tailored to your unique needs. From setting up your first 'vault' to mastering Markdown's simple yet powerful formatting, we'll explore the essential tools that make Obsidian stand out. But we won't stop there—this guide also teases the advanced features that can supercharge your productivity, like visualizing ideas with Graph View or automating workflows with templates. By the end, you'll not only understand how to use Obsidian but also how to shape it into a tool that grows with you. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination—so what kind of knowledge system will you create? Obsidian Note-Taking Overview Getting Started with Obsidian To begin using Obsidian, download and install the application on your device. Once installed, you'll create a 'vault,' which serves as a local folder where all your notes are stored as plain text files. This local-first approach ensures your data remains private and under your control, a significant advantage over cloud-based tools that often rely on external servers. Vaults form the foundation of your knowledge management system. You can create multiple vaults tailored to different purposes, such as personal projects, academic research, or professional workflows. This flexibility allows you to adapt Obsidian to your unique needs, whether you're managing a single project or building an extensive knowledge base. For example, you might maintain one vault for work-related tasks and another for personal journaling, making sure your information stays organized and accessible. Mastering Markdown: The Language of Obsidian Markdown is the simple yet versatile formatting language that powers Obsidian. Learning Markdown is essential for structuring your notes effectively and unlocking the app's full potential. With Markdown, you can: Format text: Create headings, bold or italicize text, and structure content with lists. Create headings, bold or italicize text, and structure content with lists. Manage tasks: Insert checkboxes to track tasks and to-dos directly within your notes. Insert checkboxes to track tasks and to-dos directly within your notes. Link notes: Use double square brackets (e.g., [[Note Title]] ) to connect notes, building a network of interconnected ideas. For instance, typing `bold` will render bold text, while `italics` creates italicized text. These simple commands make it easy to format your notes without relying on complex menus or tools. By mastering Markdown, you can create well-structured, visually clear notes that enhance both readability and functionality. Obsidian for Beginner's Guide 2025 Watch this video on YouTube. Dive deeper into Obsidian note-taking with other articles and guides we have written below. Core Features for Organizing Your Notes Obsidian offers a range of features designed to help you manage and organize large volumes of information efficiently. These tools ensure your notes remain accessible and interconnected as your vault grows: Backlinks: Automatically connect related notes by linking them. For example, linking a note on 'Time Management' to one on 'Productivity' helps you explore relationships between topics. Automatically connect related notes by linking them. For example, linking a note on 'Time Management' to one on 'Productivity' helps you explore relationships between topics. Graph View: Visualize your notes as a network of nodes, revealing patterns and connections within your knowledge base. This feature is particularly useful for identifying clusters of related ideas. Visualize your notes as a network of nodes, revealing patterns and connections within your knowledge base. This feature is particularly useful for identifying clusters of related ideas. Search Functionality: Quickly locate specific notes or keywords. You can also save frequent searches as bookmarks for easy access to recurring queries. Quickly locate specific notes or keywords. You can also save frequent searches as bookmarks for easy access to recurring queries. Folders and Tags: Organize notes hierarchically with folders or categorically with tags. For instance, you might use folders for broad topics like 'Work' or 'Personal' and tags for more specific classifications like 'Deadlines' or 'Ideas.' Organize notes hierarchically with folders or categorically with tags. For instance, you might use folders for broad topics like 'Work' or 'Personal' and tags for more specific classifications like 'Deadlines' or 'Ideas.' Metadata: Add custom properties such as dates, authors, or project statuses to your notes for better filtering and organization. These features work together to create a dynamic and adaptable system for managing your notes, making it easier to retrieve and connect information as needed. Advanced Tools to Boost Productivity Obsidian goes beyond basic note-taking by offering advanced tools that enhance your workflows and support more complex projects. These tools include: Canvas: A visual mind-mapping tool that allows you to arrange notes, media, and web pages on a dashboard. This feature is ideal for brainstorming, project planning, or visually organizing ideas. A visual mind-mapping tool that allows you to arrange notes, media, and web pages on a dashboard. This feature is ideal for brainstorming, project planning, or visually organizing ideas. Templates: Automate repetitive tasks by creating reusable note structures. For example, you can design a template for meeting notes with predefined sections for agenda, discussion points, and action items. Automate repetitive tasks by creating reusable note structures. For example, you can design a template for meeting notes with predefined sections for agenda, discussion points, and action items. Plugins: Extend Obsidian's functionality with community-developed plugins. These can add features like calendar integration, advanced graph views, or task management enhancements. These tools allow you to customize Obsidian to fit your unique needs, whether you're managing a creative project, conducting research, or building a personal knowledge base. Customization and Settings One of Obsidian's standout features is its extensive customization options, which allow you to tailor the app to your workflow and preferences. Key customization options include: Themes: Switch between light and dark modes or apply custom themes to match your aesthetic preferences. Switch between light and dark modes or apply custom themes to match your aesthetic preferences. Editor Settings: Adjust settings like line wrapping, spell check, and font size to enhance your writing experience. Adjust settings like line wrapping, spell check, and font size to enhance your writing experience. Hotkeys: Use keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation and actions, such as creating new notes or toggling between panes. Use keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation and actions, such as creating new notes or toggling between panes. Pane Management: Open multiple notes side by side or stack them in tabs to streamline multitasking. These options make Obsidian a highly adaptable tool, making sure it integrates seamlessly into your productivity workflow. Practical Use Cases Obsidian's versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of applications. Here are some practical ways to use the app: Project Dashboards: Create dashboards that link to relevant notes, deadlines, and resources, allowing you to track progress and stay organized. Create dashboards that link to relevant notes, deadlines, and resources, allowing you to track progress and stay organized. Book Notes: Organize your reading with metadata fields like author, publication date, and key takeaways. Use backlinks to connect related books or themes for deeper insights. Organize your reading with metadata fields like author, publication date, and key takeaways. Use backlinks to connect related books or themes for deeper insights. Daily Journals: Use templates to streamline daily journaling, tracking tasks, reflections, and goals in a consistent format. Use templates to streamline daily journaling, tracking tasks, reflections, and goals in a consistent format. Research Management: Compile research notes, link related topics, and use the graph view to visualize connections between ideas. These examples highlight how Obsidian can adapt to both personal and professional needs, enhancing your productivity and creativity. Tips for Effective Organization To maximize the benefits of Obsidian, experiment with different organizational methods. Start with a folder-based structure for broad topics and gradually incorporate tags or backlinks as your vault grows. Use the graph view to identify orphan notes—those without connections—and create links to integrate them into your knowledge network. Remember, your system doesn't need to be perfect from the start. Allow it to evolve as you become more familiar with Obsidian's features and discover workflows that align with your goals. This iterative approach ensures your knowledge management system remains flexible and effective. Balancing Flexibility with Complexity Obsidian's extensive customization options can feel overwhelming at first, but taking the time to explore its features is worthwhile. Whether you prefer a minimalist approach or a highly detailed knowledge base, Obsidian's flexibility allows you to create a system that works for you. Start small, focus on mastering the basics, and gradually incorporate advanced tools and plugins as your confidence grows. Media Credit: CreaDev Labs Filed Under: Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
