Educators using AI or no-code platforms should review their project privacy settings immediately following apparent recent changes affecting how “private” projects are handled.
Educators increasingly use AI-powered and no-code tools to prototype lessons, build internal resources, and support student learning. Recent user reports and inspection of the Lovable platform, however, suggest a significant change to how project privacy and data usage are handled, with implications for teachers, students, and schools.
Update from lovable
If you did not specify the privacy before, you now NEED to move it into a workspace.
What we changed:
– All new projects created are now private by default, whether you’re on a free or paid plan
– Under project visibility, you can select public, workspace, and personal. Workspace = Only visible to you and others in your workspace, if you have collaborators
– Previously, only paid plans could select “Workspace” for new projects while new projects created by free plans were public by default
– Personal here means that even other workspace members can’t see a project, which is mostly relevant for business teams with several members in a workspace
Realize that the naming is confusing, so we’ll update that to make clear that workspace = only you and people that are part of your workspace can see your project.
To make your individual project private, place it into the workspace
Many users are sharing that the unpublish project option is greyed out. We believe that Lovable are fixing this.
Data use and AI training considerations
Language in Lovable’s updated Privacy Policy indicates that, unless users are on the Business tier, customer data may be used to improve the platform, including for AI-related development. This may include:
- Code and logic
- User interface layouts and components
- Prompts and agent instructions
- Images and assets
- Templates and workflows
Clauses allowing data use for platform improvement are common in AI tools. The concern raised by users is that projects previously assumed to be private may now be publicly accessible or licensed under different terms without clear, active notification.
Recommended actions
Educators and school leaders using Lovable or similar platforms may wish to:
- Review all existing projects immediately
- Check current visibility status
- Confirm whether any unpublished or private settings are still available
- Avoid uploading sensitive content
- Student work or personal data
- Internal school documents or processes
- Read platform policies carefully
- Pay attention to data reuse and AI training clauses
- Consider alternative tools for classroom use
- Prefer platforms with explicit education or safeguarding guarantees
- Seek written clarification from providers
- Request confirmation of how project data is stored, shared, and reused
Educators deserve transparency in order to make informed choices for themselves and their learners.
This article does not make claims about intent or legality. However, significant changes affecting privacy, cost, and data use should be clearly communicated in advance, particularly when educational projects and student work may be involved.
