Basque Government Digital Classroom Contracts Spark Controversy Over Surveillance and Corporate Ties

• The Basque Education Department allocated over 17 million euros in 2025 for cameras, microphones, and interactive screens in public schools under a broader 54.4 million euro framework.
• Teachers' unions, including LAB, have protested the installation of audio and video recording equipment without prior consultation or consent.
• Several contract winners have documented ties to defense or security sectors, raising concerns about corporate influence and data oversight in education.

Contractual Framework and Surveillance Concerns

• The equipment was procured through a framework agreement (C03/006/2022) established in December 2024, with spending for recording devices reserved as early as January 2023.
• Unions allege the cameras are used for staff surveillance rather than pedagogical purposes, claiming schools were pressured to accept the hardware to receive other digital classroom tools.
• Education authorities maintain the devices are intended solely to support teaching and learning, though the department has recently signaled a potential review of screen usage in schools following poor PISA assessment results.

Corporate Backgrounds of Suppliers

• Bechtle Direct SL: Supplied the classroom webcams. The firm has business ties to companies identified by Who Profits for their involvement with Israeli police and military infrastructure.
• Seidor Tech: Provided classroom microphones. The company is 60% owned by The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm historically associated with U.S. political and military figures.
• Algoritmos, Procesos y Diseños (APD): The primary contract beneficiary, receiving 9.2 million euros for screens and computers, and is also known as a contractor for the Spanish Ministry of Defense.

Ongoing Developments

• Despite public outcry and refusals from some school administrations to install the devices, the government continued to award new contracts related to the framework as recently as November 2025.
• Regional education authorities have reportedly begun allowing some schools to remove the cameras while the wider framework agreement remains active until December 2026.