School privacy violations in Brazil and Argentina

In northern Paraná, Brazil, an investigation continues into the Érico Veríssimo Civic-Military State College in Cambé after students discovered cameras installed in girls' restrooms. While school officials claimed the devices were intended to function as smoke sensors to prevent vaping and monitor entrances, students and parents reported that the equipment had been in place since 2024 without proper disclosure and was capable of capturing footage in private areas where students changed clothes.

Following protests and reports that security monitors showed footage of bathroom stalls and mirrors, the Paraná State Secretary of Education, Rony Miranda, ordered the removal of the school’s leadership. Recent developments confirm the removal of the school’s director, vice-director, and two military police officers. To prevent future occurrences, the state issued Resolution No. 5.206/2026, which strictly prohibits the installation or use of video monitoring and any image-capturing devices in school bathrooms, toilets, and locker rooms.

The Paraná State Secretariat of Education (Seed-PR) has also ordered inspections of bathrooms and locker rooms across all state schools via the Tutor-Zelador Program to identify unauthorized surveillance devices. The Paraná Public Ministry has opened civil and criminal investigations, while the Civil Police of Paraná continue to investigate the purpose of the equipment, who accessed the recordings, and whether privacy laws were violated.

Separately, in Mendoza, Argentina, the General José de San Martín Technical School is under investigation following the unauthorized distribution of intimate images and videos of a female staff member. Authorities suspect the material was stolen from a school computer via an active email account in the IT lab. The General Directorate of Schools has activated cybercrime protocols involving forensic experts and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the breach and the potential involvement of minors.