Non-Exploitative Tech Lab, Inc.

What is NET Lab?

A Certification for Educational Technology. Like Fair Trade coffee or B Corp certification, NET Lab provides independent verification that edtech software or hardware prioritizes student wellbeing over data extraction and engagement manipulation.

NET Certification Criteria

Currently being developed from analysis of 100+ edtech privacy policies:

Privacy That Everyone Can Understand
If parents can't understand what data is being collected, something is off. Clear policies explain the extent of data collection and whether student information is sold or shared with advertisers.

No Dark Patterns
Dark patterns are design tricks that manipulate users—like learning streaks that create anxiety about missing a day, using guilt to push upgrades, or gamification designed for engagement over learning.

Age-Appropriate Design
Design that respects cognitive development and supports focused learning, not interfaces filled with flashing colors and endless apps designed to maximize clicks and screen time.

Learning Beyond Screens
Technology should enhance learning, not replace human interaction and hands-on exploration. Good edtech acknowledges these limits.

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Who We Are

NET Lab is founded by an education policy researcher and former NYC High School teacher with 14 years of experience in the education sector, including working at the World Bank, UNESCO, OECD, Global Partnership for Education, and UNICEF. With a PhD in Lifelong Learning from Penn State and mathematics degrees from Duke and Columbia University, NET Lab brings both technical expertise and deep knowledge of global education systems to the challenge of identifying technology that serves learners rather than exploits them.

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