Safer Footprint began when we saw children’s data at risk, and families on their own.
👣 About Us
A data leak set things in motion for us. And the end goal is now clear: to give children safer digital beginnings and to guide the adults who care for them.
Safer Footprint was created after discovering just how vulnerable children’s data can be in everyday educational technology apps. Photos stored without proper security in place, documents accessible without login, children’s personal information accessible via search engines, and deactivated accounts that weren’t deleted at all. What we found wasn’t a rare mistake, but a symptom of a broader issue: educational technology has raced ahead but privacy safeguards, clear communication, and parent support have lagged far behind.
Parents are routinely asked to consent to things they don’t understand, often through forms that bundle multiple permissions together or present choices that sound optional but aren’t. Like many other families, we weren’t even sure what could or couldn’t be consented to, or how to limit what was shared about our child. Educators, meanwhile, were left to navigate complex digital tools without the training or clarity they needed. And vendors, many of them well-meaning, lacked guidance on what safe, responsible design actually looks like.
Safer Footprint exists to close that gap. We offer guidance for parents, practical support for centres, and independent audits for technology providers. Our aim is simple: to ensure every child starts life with the smallest, safest digital footprint possible, and that the adults around them are informed, supported and empowered.
This problem needs people who understands both people, privacy, and technology — and that’s us.
Safer Footprint is built on privacy expertise, human-centred design, technical depth and lived parent experience. Niels Wouters, PhD has spent over a decade helping government, industry, and communities navigate the risks and realities of digital systems, including uncovering real vulnerabilities in childcare platforms. This mix of research, ethics, technology and practical insight makes Safer Footprint uniquely positioned to guide safer digital practices for children, families and educators.
Whenever needed, we consult with a trusted network of professionals working across privacy law, education and pedagogy, research, cybersecurity, and policy to shape our work and advice.
