Moscow school whiteboards can secretly record audio, analysis finds

Software capable of remotely switching on microphones and recording audio without teachers’ knowledge has been found on interactive whiteboards in Moscow schools, independent outlet Mediazona reported on Tuesday, citing an analysis published on GitHub.

The module is installed through the remote management system of Moscow’s Department of Information Technology. It runs in the background and checks the server for new tasks every 10 minutes. When it receives the relevant command, it activates the microphone, records what is happening in the room, uploads the recording to DIT servers and then deletes the file from the device.

Traces of the software were found on three interactive panels in different Moscow schools. According to the analysis, the module was installed and updated between August and October 2026. The latest version of the program no longer mentions audio recording in its description.

The author of the analysis said neither teachers nor students had been officially warned that lessons could be secretly recorded.

Whiteboards are not the only devices involved. A source in Moscow’s education sector told Mediazona that laptops that are part of the city’s Mostech ecosystem also record sound in schools.

According to the source, the function is meant to compare teachers’ calendar and thematic lesson plans with what is actually taught in class.