Education is changing. New technologies are allowing information to flow within schools and beyond, enabling new learning environments and providing new tools to improve the way teachers teach and the way students learn. Data-driven innovations are bringing advances in teaching and learning but are accompanied by concerns about how education data, particularly student-generated data, are being collected and used.
The Future of Privacy Forum believes that there are critical improvements to learning that are enabled by data and technology, and that the use of data and technology is not antithetical to protecting student privacy. In order to facilitate this balance, FPF equips and connects advocates, industry, policymakers, and practitioners with substantive practices, policies, and other solutions to address education privacy challenges at both the K-12 and higher ed levels.
For more information and resources, please visit Student Privacy Compass, a one-stop shop for information, news, and analysis on maintaining student data privacy.
Featured
It’s Raining Privacy Bills: An Overview of the Washington State Privacy Act and other Introduced Bills
By Pollyanna Sanderson (Policy Counsel), Katelyn Ringrose (Christopher Wolf Diversity Law Fellow) & Stacey Gray (Senior Policy Counsel) Today, on the first day of a rapid-fire 2020 legislative session in the state of Washington, State Senator Carlyle has introduced a new version of the Washington Privacy Act (WPA). Legislators revealed the Act during a live press […]
ICYMI: National PTA, Future of Privacy Forum Host Student Privacy Briefing for Parents
Webinar reviews state action on student privacy and shares best practices for protecting student data
Future of Privacy Forum Submits Comments to FTC on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations focused on privacy leadership and scholarship, submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in response to the agency’s ongoing review of the federal statute. “As COPPA enters its third […]
MythBusters: COPPA Edition
Following YouTube’s September settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), YouTube released a video in late November explaining upcoming changes to their platform. The YouTube creator community responded in large numbers, with numerous explainer videos and almost two hundred thousand comments filed in response to the FTC’s […]
FPF Welcomes New Members to the Youth & Education Privacy Project
We are thrilled to announce three new members of FPF’s Youth & Education Privacy team. The new staff – Jasmine Park, Anisha Reddy, and Katherine Sledge – will help expand FPF’s technical assistance and training, resource creation and distribution, and state and federal legislative tracking. You can read more about Katherine, Anisha, and Jasmine below. Please […]
What They’re Saying: Stakeholders Warn Senate Surveillance Bill Could Harm Students, Communities
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 […]
ICYMI: New Senate Legislation Mandates “Pervasive Surveillance” in Attempt to Improve School Safety
Bill would require schools nationwide to impose network monitoring technology “before there is any clear evidence that it’s effective in preventing violence.”
Increased Surveillance is Not an Effective Response to Mass Violence
By Sara Collins and Anisha Reddy This week, Senator Cornyn introduced the RESPONSE Act, an omnibus bill meant to reduce violent crimes, with a particular focus on mass shootings. The bill has several components, including provisions that would have significant implications for how sensitive student data is collected, used, and shared. The most troubling part […]
COPPA Workshop Takeaways
On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a public workshop focused on potential updates to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule. The workshop follows a July 25, 2019 notice of rule review and call for public comments regarding COPPA rule reform. The comment period remains open until December 9th. Senior FTC officials […]
FTC Reaches Landmark Settlement Regarding Kids’ Privacy, Clarifies Platforms’ and Video Creators’ COPPA Obligations for Child-Directed Content
By Sara Collins Last week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released details of a settlement with YouTube under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Although notable for its landmark monetary penalty, the settlement is probably more important for the other requirements that it places on YouTube and content creators. Some of YouTube’s settlement obligations […]