In the News

In a recent article published by the Associated Press in The Washington Post and The New York Times, the Future of Privacy Forum warns of the privacy risks of sharing information about positive COVID-19 tests among students, particularly student athletes who have already returned to campus to prepare for the upcoming sports season. Read an excerpt […]

Op-ed by Future of Privacy Forum CEO Jules Polonetsky published in The74. As CEO of a global data protection nonprofit, I spend my workdays focused on helping policymakers and companies navigate new technologies and digital security concerns that have emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, my children have adopted many of these […]

Experts from the Future of Privacy Forum, the nation’s leading think tank focused on advancing responsible consumer privacy practices, have spoken out in numerous articles and publications to raise awareness about privacy concerns stemming from the rapid adoption of general-use technologies to support online learning at K-12 and higher education institutions nationwide. As FPF’s Director […]

Parents, privacy advocates, education stakeholders, and members of the disability rights community are raising concerns about new Senate legislation that would mandate unproven student surveillance programs and encourage greater law enforcement intervention in classrooms in a misguided effort to improve school safety. Last week, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the RESPONSE Act, legislation that is intended to help reduce and […]

Bill would require schools nationwide to impose network monitoring technology “before there is any clear evidence that it’s effective in preventing violence.”

Future of Privacy Forum’s Amelia Vance warns of ‘unintended consequences’ that could harm students.

Washington, DC – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) relaunched FERPA|Sherpa, the leading resource for information about education privacy issues. Named after the core federal law that governs education privacy, FERPA|Sherpa provides students, parents, schools, ed tech companies, and policymakers with easy access to the resources, best practices, and guidelines that are essential to understanding the complex privacy issues arising at the intersection of kids, schools, and technology.

Today, Senator Nelson’s office released a report outlining several privacy and security implications of “connected toys” that the office identified based on conversations with six major toy manufacturers. The report emphasizes the unique sensitivity of children’s personal information; urges toymakers to build privacy and security into their toys from the inception; and suggests that the FTC has authority to monitor and bring enforcement actions under Section 5 and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Washington, DC – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) released a new survey, Beyond One Classroom: Parental Support for Technology and Data Use in Schools. The survey asked parents to comprehensively outline their goals and concerns about the use of technology and student data. Their answers, and the conclusions that can be drawn from them, should inform the debate regarding local, state, and national policies concerning K-12 education and data use.

Today, at the 2016 Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) Annual Conference, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and FOSI released a white paper, Kids & The Connected Home: Privacy in the Age of Connected Dolls, Talking Dinosaurs, and Battling Robots.