"Student Privacy Is at More Risk Than Ever Before. Can K-12 Schools Keep It Safe?"

Education technology is now an integral part of the education system. However, there are concerns regarding the readiness of K-12 districts to address the complex privacy and security issues raised by such technology. According to "Uncovering Privacy and Security Challenges in K-12 Schools," a new study from the University of Chicago and New York University, districts are not handling privacy and security issues very well, primarily because of their inadequate preparation. After interviewing several school administrators about privacy issues, researchers scraped 15,573 websites from K-12 public schools and districts in the US to determine which education technology products these schools commonly use or recommend to students, as well as what risks these tools pose and whether schools are prepared to address them. According to the researchers, this is the first quantitative examination of the privacy and security risks concerns raised by education technology products currently used in American public schools. The resulting list includes numerous well-known resources, such as Zoom, Scholastic, College Board, Khan Academy, and Clever. Almost all of the top sites linked to schools "extensively" used tracking software. Additionally, the researchers note that many websites used session recorders known to capture sensitive information such as keystrokes. Prior research on student information policies has revealed that education technology companies often do not disclose their data practices. Human rights groups and regulators have also raised concerns about the vulnerability posed by intrusive surveillance technology and schools' improper data management. The new report adds to a growing body of research advocating for K-12 privacy laws, at a time when experts highlight that education technology companies have placed an undue burden on schools to ensure data security. This article continues to discuss privacy and security challenges faced by K-12 schools. 

EdSurge reports "Student Privacy Is at More Risk Than Ever Before. Can K-12 Schools Keep It Safe?"