Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stand Up for Student Data Privacy

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stand Up for Student Data Privacy

Stand Up for Student Data Privacy

Don't let the feds do to COPPA what they did to FERPA.  Is your child's information for sale to the highest bidder? I hope not.

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law created to protect the privacy of children under 13.  
 
From the Missouri Watchdog blog:

The Federal Trade Commission is considering several changes to this law that protects children’s online information.  The FTC is accepting comments from the public, deadline December 9, 2019. 


  • COPPA is a federal law whose mission is to put parents in control over what information is collected from their young child online, but that could change. The FTC is about to weaken this law that protects children.
  • See here (Section E. Question 23 covers the edtech consent exception) Exceptions to Verifiable Parental Consent:
    “Should the Commission consider a specific exception to parental consent for the use of education technology used in the schools? Should this exception have similar requirements to the “school official exception” found in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”)…?”
Let them hear from you and tell the FTC:  

  • Do NOT Weaken COPPA. 
  • Do NOT Give Edtech a Consent Exception.   
  • See Sample letters hereherehere, and here.
With the ever expanding use of computers, online curriculum, apps, videos, social media in the classroom, kids deserve to be protected at school.



Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stand Up for Student Data Privacy