Industry Alarm Q&A: How Do We Keep Dancers Safe and Our Industry Fair?

An open, real conversation on how a shared, privacy-first identity system can strengthen and safeguard what matters most; your dance families.

Industry Alarm - Q&A
Q: Do you have to be 16 or older to be verified?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: To act as a Primary or Secondary Guardian, you must be a legal adult. For minor dancers, verification is managed through their legal guardian. To ensure compliance across all North American jurisdictions, independent data control transitions to the dancer at age 18.
Q: What tips do you have for discerning technologies that should be trusted? Is it just all in their terms and conditions? Especially when we need to rely on it so much… Is it just choosing the less worse one?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: Terms and conditions are part of it, but they’re not the full picture. A trustworthy system should be transparent about: what data is collected and why who has access to it and when how consent is obtained and managed what safeguards exist for minors whether users retain control over their data It also helps to look at whether the organization is willing to be accountable publicly, explain its processes clearly, and design with privacy-by-default rather than as an afterthought. It shouldn't be about choosing the less worse option; it’s about looking for third-party validation/verification that the industry can rely on. Trusted tech should follow Privacy by design, meaning security and digital IDs are built in as identifiers over using personable identifiable information (PII) like birth dates to as key identifiers.
Q: I agree that kids need to be safe however, I haven’t heard anywhere how you plan to do this, why there is a cost, how you plan to manage this in the logistics - not the broad sense.
ICDR ANSWER:		A: The core danceID and identity verification are free. ICDR is a tool that empowers the industry to better protect dancers by protecting their Personal Identifiable Information by anonymizing key data behind encrypted hashed digital IDs. Minors’ names and training locations are removed from public-facing lists, currently widely available. Additionally, while registration with the ICDR is a choice, technology providers and event owners may utilize the ICDR’s secure pathway to deliver performance media; part of the ID’s core and free protections. This transition removes the risk of using unverified personal data (like birthdates) as insecure passwords and removes publicly displayed lists of dancers attached to physical locations in the real world (historic media redemption paths on DanceBUG, for instance).
Q: What happens once you start charging a subscription fee to your information if you decide to stop the subscription? Are you able to keep it personally? Who does it belong to?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: Baseline safety should never be a barrier. The core danceID and identity verification are free and will remain that way. The data always belongs to the people it represents (e.g. the legal guardian). Under PIPEDA, COPPA and GDPR rules, you have the Right to be Forgotten. If you stop using the service, you can request a DSAR (Data Subject Access Request) to take your record with you or have it deleted immediately. Should a dancer want to keep their verified record post-graduation, there will be a small maintenance fee with helpful resources to add value to their choice to maintain the ID and the private and preserved history within it.
Q: So there is no fee starting in September as shown on your website
ICDR ANSWER:		A: ICDR’s core danceID (and the verification that unlocks it) is now free, and will remain free. The website has been adjusted to reflect this.
Q: How many years will it be free for...original information said it was free for this year, and families would need to pay a monthly fee starting eventually
ICDR ANSWER:		A: The core system (including danceID and verification) is free and will remain free. There is no looming subscription for baseline protections. All paid services like participant accident insurance, verified resume builders and more support resources are optional.
Q: You said participation was optional...but my families need to join to get their media that they had paid for back in December. before knowing that this was coming
ICDR ANSWER:		A: There were a few past events where “required” participation temporarily affected the old media redemption flow, so people may be remembering that. But as of today, that is no longer the case, families do not need to join ICDR to access media they’ve already paid for. The core protections of the ID are free and dancers will be issued digital IDs to protect their media and data at no cost.
Q: With you saying it is free, has this changed since I had a conversation with you a few weeks ago when it is "free now" but there was tiered pricing coming in the Fall
ICDR ANSWER:		A: Yes, and this change came directly from community feedback. We re-evaluated the model after hearing from studios, families, and events, and made a firm decision: ICDR’s digital danceID is free and will stay free to broker the trust needed across the industry. This was not an easy financial decision, but it was the right one. We have removed the baseline cost for 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 and future years, entirely.
Q: What competitions are part of ICDR? Even if we register, we aren’t protected if the competitions we attend are not also using it, right?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: ICDR isn’t tied to just one set of competitions or a singular technology ecosystem, it’s growing as more events and partners learn about its value and choose to adopt it, on their own time. The full power of the ID is contingent on those who use it. If a competition is using ICDR, you get the full layer of protection (verification, media controls, etc.). If it’s not, your verification still exists and stays with you, but that specific event isn’t operating under those protections, yet. With time and more studio support, we can work together to save studios more time and earn more cross-industry support. So yes, it’s strongest when events are part of it, and that’s exactly what we’re building toward: consistent protection across the industry, not just in pockets.
Q: My interest lie in knowing HOW will this work as a process moving forward ? ‘You' will deal directly with our parents / clients by soliciting them to join this ‘program’ and then by charging and collecting fees from them directly ? OR is there expectation that studio directors will take that on ? Will Dance Bug require dancers to be registered to ICDR in order for studio directors to do our entries for comps that use Dance Bug ?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: ICDR isn’t designed to go around studios or directly solicit parents, it works through studios and events, fitting into the systems you already use. There’s also no cost for the core system, so there’s nothing for studios to collect or manage outside of an initial verification and using the services we supply at studio’s own discretion. Guardians will be able to purchase participant accident insurance and more services should the studio director not be interested in securing a better rate for these added services. The goal is to support studios’ workflow, not add pressure or extra admin.
Q: How would you be able to ‘monitor’ category injustices at a comp event if not every single person at that comp is registered to your program and has input their training information ? Doesn’t this make Dance Bug look bad since they could monitor all of this ? They send out all invoicing so they know exactly who’s dancing in what. And are they not protecting our dancers media now ? How will you handle finding a discrepancy ?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: ICDR is a tool that technology providers and event owners may leverage to determine event and category eligibility. By providing a single, verified source of truth for a dancer’s age and training history, the ICDR removes the burden of manual data entry from studios and competitions. This enables events to leverage ICDR to ensure that every dancer is competing in the correct category, protecting the integrity of the results for everyone. Software systems can be connected through ICDR’s compliant third party system so there is more clarity on leveling and age placements. Our dates of birth are locked following verifications, as why would a DOB change but unfortunately they do.
Q: I had an ER and missed the meeting this morning. Am I able to get a recording of it?
ICDR ANSWER:		A: We completely understand busy and unexpected moments like that. Here is the link to view the full recording of the Industry Alarm event: https://youtu.be/_O1EZIT8epE