5 tools that hundreds of Quebec schools still use and that carry a documented Law 25 risk. Here they are and why. All facts cited in this article come from the official, publicly available privacy policies of each tool, with verbatim quotes and links to original sources. The goal is not to disqualify these tools — it's to lay out the facts as written by the companies themselves.
Methodological note
This article does not constitute legal advice. Quotes are taken from privacy policies available publicly as of April 28, 2026. Policies evolve. Consult your administration and your CSS's privacy officer before making decisions based on this article.
The 5 tools
Remind is a messaging app widely used by Quebec teachers to send reminders and announcements to parents. Its simplicity made it a popular pick, especially for supply teachers who don't have access to their CSS's official systems.
What the privacy policy says
« We may share your personal information with third-party business partners, vendors and service providers for purposes that include marketing, research, analytics and advertising. »
Remind Privacy Policy [1]
« Remind stores your data in the United States. »
Remind Privacy Policy [1]
US storage, no Canada option. Any use by a Quebec CSS that involves identifying information about students requires a prior PIA, per section 70.1 of the Access Act [2].
AlternativesFor one-way communication (reminders, announcements): your CSS's institutional email system, or the announcements feature of your approved pedagogical platform. For two-way communication: a tool approved by your CSS and hosted in Canada.
Bloomz is positioned as a ClassDojo alternative for parent-teacher communication. It's less well-known in Quebec than its competitors, which is precisely why it's often used without being formally evaluated by the CSS.
What the privacy policy says
« We may use your Personal Data to contact you with newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information that may be of interest to you. »
Bloomz Privacy Policy [3]
The policy allows sending commercial communications to parent and teacher accounts. It does not clearly distinguish between teacher data and student-related data for these commercial purposes. The biggest practical issue: most Quebec CSS have not conducted a PIA for Bloomz, leaving any use in an unevaluated zone.
AlternativesIf you're using Bloomz without CSS approval, flag it to your administration and ask for a PIA or an approved alternative. If parent communication is the core need, ask your CSS what tools they've formally approved.
ClassDojo remains one of the most used tools in Quebec elementary classrooms. Its Law 25 issue is documented in its own technical specifications.
What the official documentation says
« Student Data is stored in the United States with our service provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS) (us-east-1). »
ClassDojo Security & Legal page [4]
The us-east-1 region is Northern Virginia. No Canada storage option is offered, even on paid plans. This is the fundamental difference from Seesaw, which at least offers an imperfect Canadian option.
In March 2025, the CSS des Samares withdrew ClassDojo from all its schools after assessing the security risk. The CSS clarified publicly that the decision was preventive, not a response to a confirmed data breach. Other CSS have made the same decision since.
AlternativesFor behaviour management: a paper system or an internal CSS digital board. For parent communication and digital portfolio: a Canadian-hosted tool approved by your CSS.
Seesaw is the most widely used digital portfolio in Quebec elementary classrooms since 2018. The free version is used by thousands of teachers. Its Law 25 issue differs from ClassDojo's: Seesaw explicitly acknowledges Law 25 in its policy and offers a Canada option, but that option has important limits.
What the privacy policy says
« In accordance with the notification requirement of Quebec Law 25, Personal Information collected through our services will be transferred to the United States. »
Seesaw International Privacy Policy [5]
« To have your data stored in Canada, please contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM). Only available for paid school subscriptions. »
Seesaw Privacy Policy, Canada Privacy Acts [6]
« Your school's data will be replicated and stored in Canada, but it is also stored in the United States. »
Seesaw Privacy Policy, Canada Privacy Acts [6]
The free version — used by the majority of Quebec teachers — doesn't get the Canada option. And even the paid option leaves data replicated in the US.
AlternativesFor a digital portfolio hosted in Canada without US replication, check with your administration for CSS-approved tools, or evaluate Canadian alternatives during summer planning.
Padlet is a popular visual collaboration tool for displaying student work, brainstorming, and interactive presentations. Its appeal: no account required for students, intuitive interface, easy photo drop. Its problem: default settings create public boards accessible to anyone on the internet.
What the privacy policy says
« Padlet may process your personal information outside the country, state, or province in which you reside, including in the United States. »
Padlet Privacy Policy [7]
US storage by default. But the main Padlet problem for Quebec classrooms is visibility, not just location. A Padlet board created with default settings is public and indexable by search engines. If a teacher creates a board with identified student work (first name + assignment + class name in the title), that content can appear in search results. Law 25 requires appropriate access controls for personal information. A public board accessible without authentication does not meet this requirement.
Padlet offers privacy options: private boards, secret link access, password access. These options are not enabled by default. They must be manually configured for each new board.
Mitigation if your CSS has approved PadletSystematically enable the "Secret" option (private link) on every board containing identified student work. Never use a student's full name in the title of a public board. For work displays you want parents to see, a tool with parent authentication is preferable.
The common thread
These five tools share something: they were all adopted for good pedagogical reasons, often before Law 25 was fully in force. They're functional, well-designed, and easy to use. The problem isn't their pedagogical quality. It's that their privacy policies reflect business models built for markets where regulation is less strict than Quebec's since September 2024.
For elementary teachers, the right move is not to stop using digital tools. It's to check, before back to school 2026, which of these tools your CSS has formally approved, and if you're using one that hasn't been approved, flag it to your administration.
Our complete Law 25 guide for elementary teachers details the 10 concrete obligations and what you need to check before the school year starts.
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