About The Event

How do we protect students in an era of rapid change, lagging legal frameworks, and privacy promises that don't always hold up?

Families want to know which edtech products their children are using, whether their data is safe, and what they can do if it isn't. Schools want to choose tools responsibly and balance safety with privacy, but face constant pressure to adopt new technology. Policymakers keep writing new privacy laws while existing ones go underenforced, and new technologies create gaps faster than legislation can fill them. And AI is entering classrooms faster than anyone can evaluate it, with privacy implications we're only beginning to understand.

On Safer Internet Day, Who Decides? Transparency, Trust, and Student Privacy convenes global experts at George Washington University Law School to tackle these questions head-on. Featuring 30+ experts from government, industry, academia, and advocacy, the conference offers practical insights for policymakers, educators, and families navigating student privacy in 2026.

Hosted by Toyo University and co-sponsored by George Washington University Law School Center for Law and Technology and the Public Interest Privacy Center.

See the agenda below, and check back here for updates to our speaker list and conference materials!

Questions? Email us at events@pipc.tech.

Agenda

February 10, 9:00 - 5:30pm ET
George Washington University Law School
2000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC
Student Conference Center (LIS 201)

See a map of the law school complex here; the Student Conference Center is on the 2nd floor.
Agenda is tentative and subject to change.                             

9:00 – 9:30 am ETRegistration
9:30 – 9:45 am ETIntroductory Remarks
  • Rihoko Kawai, Toyo University and George Washington University Law School
  • Amelia Vance, Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC)
9:45 – 11:00 am ETFirestarter Panel
Transparency Theater: When Disclosures Protect Companies Instead of Families and Schools
  • Amelia Vance, PIPC (moderator)
  • Sara Collins, Public Knowledge
  • Richard Culatta, ISTE+ASCD
  • Meg Leta Jones, Georgetown University
  • Sara Kloek, Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
  • Denise G. Tayloe, PRIVO
  • Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Brookings Institution
11:00 – 12:00 pm ETTransparency Through Accountability: How Student Privacy Violations Actually Get Fixed
  • Adrienne Fowler, GW Law (moderator)
  • Genevieve Bonan, Sallie Mae (formerly FTC)
  • Anne-Marie Cenaiko, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
  • Amelia Vance, PIPC
  • Ross Lemke, Privacy Technical Assistance Center at the U.S. Department of Education (Contractor)
12:00 – 12:30 pm ETLunch Break
12:30 – 1:30 pm ETTransparency Across Borders: Lessons from Abroad
  • Morgan Sexton, PIPC (moderator)
  • Anne-Marie Cenaiko, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
  • Rihoko Kawai, Toyo University and GW Law
  • Dr. Kruakae Pothong, Digital Futures for Children Centre, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
1:30 – 2:45 pm ETWho's Watching the Watchers? Safety and Privacy Tensions Regarding Monitoring in Schools and AI Oversight
  • Emma Llanso, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) (moderator)
  • Nicole Fuller, National Center for Learning Disabilities
  • Olga Garcia, Parent Advocate
  • Teddy Hartman, GoGuardian
  • Sam Hiner, Young People’s Alliance
  • Clarence Okoh, TechTonic Justice
  • Dr. Kruakae Pothong, Digital Futures for Children Centre, LSE
  • Jim Siegl, Future of Privacy Forum
2:45 – 3:00 pm ETBreak
3:00 – 4:15 pm ETMaking Transparency Meaningful: Empowering Students and Families to Exercise Their Rights
  • Rebecca Koenig, EdSurge (moderator)
  • Anne-Marie Cenaiko, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
  • Sarah Jane Forman, KIPP DC
  • Ariel Fox Johnson, Common Sense Media
  • Brad Shear, Shear Law
  • Daniel J. Solove, George Washington University Law School
  • Jared Hayden, Institute for Family Studies
4:15 – 5:30 pm ETBeyond Transparency: Reimagining Student Data Protections
  • Amanda Schaumburg, Penn Hill Group (moderator)
  • Adam Billen, Encode AI
  • Rachel Johnson, Loudoun County Public Schools - Ashburn, VA
  • Rihoko Kawai, Toyo University and GW Law
  • Sydney Saubestre, New America's Open Technology Institute
  • Olga Garcia, Parent Advocate
  • John Ehrett, Federal Trade Commission

Speakers

Cropped Adam headshot

Adam Billen

Encode AI
Bonan-Genevieve teams (1)

Genevieve Bonan

Sallie Mae
amcenaiko5932-8x10 (1)

Anne-Marie Cenaiko

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
sara collins headshot

Sara Collins

Public Knowledge
Richard-Culatta_ISTE2017-1569_Photo-Credit-Steve-Smith - Brittany Keller

Richard Culatta

ISTE+ASCD
1537813548596 - John Ehrett

John Ehrett

Federal Trade Commission
headshot - Sarah Jane Forman

Sarah Jane Forman

KIPP DC
A-Fowler headshot - Adrienne Fowler

Adrienne Fowler

GW Center for Law & Technology: The Bernard Center
ArielFoxJohnson - Ariel Fox Johnson

Ariel Fox Johnson

Common Sense Media
nicole-fuller-headshot

Nicole Fuller

National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
Garcia-Kaplan headshot

Olga Garcia

Parent Advocate
Teddy headshot 1

Teddy Hartman

GoGuardian
J Hayden headshot updated

Jared Hayden

The Institute for Family Studies
Sam-Hiner - Sam Hiner

Sam Hiner

Young People’s Alliance
Rachel Johnson

Rachel Johnson

Loudoun County Public Schools - Ashburn, VA
Cropped Rihoko headshot

Dr. Rihoko Kawai

Toyo University and GW Law
Cropped Sara headshot

Sara Kloek

Software & Information Industry Association
rebecca koenig headshot

Rebecca Koenig

EdSurge
Ross Lemke headshot

Ross Lemke

Privacy Technical Assistance Center
at the U.S. Department of Education (Contractor)
bio cartoon - Meg Leta Jones

Meg Leta Jones

Georgetown University
Emma Llanso head shot - Emma Llanso

Emma Llanso

National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA)
f5ad5dd0-5d9e-4053-9b13-849dd109ad24 - Clarence Okoh

Clarence Okoh

TechTonic Justice
KP headshot-2023 - Kruakae Pothong

Dr. Kruakae Pothong

Digital Futures for Children Centre,
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Evoto

Sydney Saubestre

New America's
Open Technology Institute
JWH_4312_final_web - Mandy S

Amanda Schaumburg

Penn Hill Group
Headshot - Morgan Leftwich

Morgan Sexton

Public Interest Privacy Center
Brad Shear_Updated Headshot

Brad Shear

Shear Law
Jim Siegl

Jim Siegl

Future of Privacy Forum
SoloveDaniel-58585-3614 03 - Daniel Solove

Daniel J. Solove

George Washington University Law School
Denise_Tayloe - Shauna Leff

Denise G. Tayloe

PRIVO
Nicol Turner Lee_Photo_Cropped - Nicol Turner Lee

Dr. Nicol Turner Lee

Brookings Institution
IMG_6327

Amelia Vance

Public Interest Privacy Center