Podium Education · Effective date: November 20, 2019 · Revised: November 4, 2026
Podium Education (“Podium”, “we”, “our” or “us”) operates a self-hosted Canvas LMS learning management environment and provides access to it directly to its users. This Privacy Notice explains what information our Canvas LMS environment collects, how we use and protect it, and the choices available to the users of the platform. Canvas LMS is the only Instructure product we operate; this Notice does not cover any other Instructure application or service.
We built this Notice around a simple commitment: user information belongs to the users it describes. We use it only to run Canvas LMS, we do not sell it, and we protect student education records consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”).
How We Provide Canvas LMS
Podium hosts and operates the Canvas LMS environment and provides access to it directly to its users. The user interacts with Podium as the provider of the platform, and we determine how the platform processes information in order to deliver the service. While a user may be enrolled at a partner university, the Canvas LMS environment and the information in it are provided and maintained by Podium.
We maintain the student education records created in Canvas LMS and protect them consistent with FERPA. We use that information only to provide and support the platform, and we do not sell it or use it for any unrelated purpose.
Users may also be subject to their university's own policies. This Notice describes Podium's practices as the host and provider of the Canvas LMS environment.
Information We Collect
The information processed through Canvas LMS falls into the categories below. The specific data present depends on how Podium configures the platform and how users engage with it.
| Category | Examples | How it is collected |
|---|---|---|
| Account and profile information | Name, institutional email address, username, role (student, instructor, administrator), and profile details | Provided when the user's account is created, or entered by the user |
| Education records and coursework | Course enrollments, assignments, submissions, grades, quiz results, discussion posts, uploaded files, and feedback | Generated as the user participates in courses |
| Communications | Announcements, comments, chatbot conversations, and support requests the user sends within the platform | When the user posts within Canvas LMS, chats with our in-product assistant, or contacts support |
| Usage information | Pages viewed, features used, activity timestamps, video playback, and interactions with course content | Recorded automatically as the user uses the platform |
| Device and log information | IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, and general location derived from IP | Collected automatically by our servers each time the platform is accessed |
We collect only what is needed to operate Canvas LMS. We do not collect precise geolocation, and we do not track user activity across unrelated websites or services.
How We Use Information
We use the information above solely to deliver and support Canvas LMS, including to:
Create and maintain accounts and authenticate users.
Deliver courses, assignments, grades, and other teaching and learning functions.
Enable communication and collaboration among authorized users.
Provide technical support and respond to requests.
Monitor, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the reliability and performance of the platform.
Meet legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations, including FERPA.
We do not:
Sell or rent personal information to anyone.
Use user data to serve targeted advertising or to build advertising profiles.
Use education records for any purpose other than providing Canvas LMS to the user.
Make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about the user.
Where we create de-identified or aggregate information that cannot reasonably be used to identify a user, we may use it to operate and improve the platform. We maintain de-identified data in a form that prevents re-identification.
How We Share Information
We share information only as needed to run Canvas LMS and only in the limited circumstances below.
We never sell personal information.
Within the platform. Information is shared with authorized users such as the user's instructors and program administrators, consistent with their roles and the configuration of the user's program.
Service providers. We use a small number of vetted vendors to operate and support the platform, including the providers named below. They may process information only on our instructions and under contractual confidentiality and security obligations, and may not use it for their own purposes.
With the user's consent or at their direction. We share information when the user directs us to, such as an approved integration the user enables or a request the user makes of us.
Legal requirements. We may disclose information when required by law or valid legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of users, the public, or Podium. Where a request concerns a student education record, we handle it consistent with FERPA and notify the user where permitted.
The service providers we rely on to deliver core features of Canvas LMS include:
| Provider | Role | Information involved |
|---|---|---|
| Kaltura | Embedded video player used to deliver and play video within course content | Video playback and related usage information |
| Intercom | In-product chatbot and support messaging tool | Chatbot conversations and the contact details the user provides when reaching out |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Secure cloud hosting of the Canvas LMS environment | Platform data stored and processed on our behalf |
Use of Artificial Intelligence
We use artificial intelligence to support certain features of Canvas LMS, and we do so only through licensed, enterprise-grade AI providers bound by written agreements that require them to protect user data. Information that users provide is never shared with consumer or public AI services. When our AI features process information, they use it only to generate the requested output; it is not stored afterward or used to train AI models.
Our AI features can access only the data they need to function, and we protect that data through access controls, data segregation, ongoing monitoring, zero-retention policies, and human review of sensitive or high-impact actions. Users can opt out of AI features at any time by contacting their success or instructional team.
FERPA and Student Education Records
Podium maintains student education records within Canvas LMS and protects them consistent with FERPA:
We maintain the education records the user creates in Canvas LMS and safeguard them as described in this Notice.
We use education records only to provide Canvas LMS, and we do not sell them or re-disclose them except as described in this Notice or with the user's consent.
As an eligible student, the user may inspect, review, and request correction of their education records by contacting us directly.
We retain or securely delete education records consistent with this Notice and applicable law.
Because our users are university students, FERPA rights belong to the student as an eligible student. A user may exercise these rights by contacting Podium at privacy@podiumeducation.com.
Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide Canvas LMS to the user and to meet our legal and operational obligations. When information is no longer needed for these purposes, we delete or de-identify it, subject to any retention required by law.
User Choices
Profile information. The user can review and update certain profile details within Canvas LMS, subject to the platform's settings.
Access, correction, and deletion. The user may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal information by contacting us at privacy@podiumeducation.com. We will respond consistent with applicable law.
Notifications. The user can manage notification preferences in their Canvas LMS account settings.
Security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, and alteration. Our Canvas LMS environment is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) with access controls, encryption in transit, and monitoring. No system can be guaranteed completely secure, and we encourage all users to protect their account credentials.
Information is processed and stored on servers located in the United States.
Third-Party Links and Integrations
Course content or integrations enabled within the platform may link to third-party websites or tools that we do not control. This Notice does not apply to those third parties, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. Users should review the privacy policies of any third-party service before providing information to it.
Changes to this Notice
We may update this Notice from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above and, where appropriate, notify users. Continued use of Canvas LMS after an update means the revised Notice applies.
Contact Us
Questions or concerns about this Notice or our privacy practices can be sent to:
Podium Education
Privacy Team
privacy@podiumeducation.com
As the host and provider of Canvas LMS, Podium is the user's direct point of contact for questions about the information processed through the platform.
