---
title: "Students' role in protecting privacy"
type: "article"
space: "Privacy Office"
author: "Cheryl Kennedy"
created: 2022-01-14T18:56:25Z
updated: 2023-12-20T14:37:15Z
tags: ["data-privacy", "data-privacy-month", "student-news", "student-privacy"]
url: "https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/188/privacy-office/articles/news/4272/students-role-in-protecting-privacy"
---

# Students' role in protecting privacy

At Seneca Polytechnic, you share in the responsibility to protect personal information and are expected to participate in educational activities in a manner that respects the privacy of others. This includes:

- Protecting the confidentiality of any personal information shared during classes, group projects and student meetings.

- Not sharing online lecture links and course URLs with anyone outside of the class.
- Not taking screenshots of class participants or sharing collaborative platform chat logs.

In certain circumstances, students may be given access to lecture recordings in order to support learning. Recordings must not be shared, reproduced, distributed in any manner without the expressed consent of the instructor and/or Seneca in accordance with the [Recording Lectures and Educational Activities](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/recording-lectures-and-educational-activities-policy.html) and [Information Technology Acceptable Use](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/information-technology-acceptable-use-policy.html) Policies.

There are a few ways you can protect your own privacy:

- Always use your assigned Seneca email when communicating with instructors, classmates and employees.

- Choose strong passwords that are at least 8 characters long and that contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Set up [Microsoft Authenticator](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/186/it-services/wiki/view/4168/microsoft-multi-factor-authentication) multifactor authentication.

- Consider using a background filter when participating in online classes and keep your microphone muted unless you are speaking.
- When presenting online, make sure to close any open documents or windows to avoid accidentally sharing personal photos, emails, and unrelated or confidential information on your screen.

For more information visit the [Privacy Office space](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/188/privacy-office/home), or email [privacyoffice@senecapolytechnic.ca](mailto:privacyoffice@senecacollege.ca) or at 416.764.0400.