A recent analysis reveals that students from low-income families are disproportionately attending schools lacking proper scrutiny of their educational technology, raising concerns about their data privacy. The study, conducted by Internet Safety Labs, indicates that these schools are more likely to utilize apps containing advertisements, posing additional risks to student privacy.
Even schools with a majority of American Indian/Alaskan Native students faced similar challenges, despite recommending or mandating fewer apps compared to wealthier counterparts. Shockingly, schools catering to the lowest-income students were found to be three times more inclined to endorse apps featuring behavioral ads compared to those serving families earning over $150,000 annually.
Lisa LeVasseur, the executive director of Internet Safety Labs, expressed disappointment at these findings, emphasizing the discrepancy between the recommended technology and its potential risks. Furthermore, schools with majority-Black student populations were identified as having the highest prevalence of ads and trackers on their websites.
This pattern of data collection presents a worrying scenario for minority and low-income families, as emphasized by LeVasseur. While individual ads in educational apps might seem harmless, the cumulative data collection across various tech platforms raises significant privacy concerns, especially considering the involvement of third-party data brokers.
These brokers compile extensive profiles of users, including sensitive information like religion, gender, location, and health details, without users' consent or control over its usage. Despite claims by software developers regarding transparent data collection practices, the ultimate utilization of such data remains unpredictable.
Moreover, children, particularly those under eight, struggle to differentiate between advertisements and content, complicating matters further. Even if apps claim not to sell children's data, analyses suggest they still profit from it indirectly.
Internet Safety Labs conducted a comprehensive audit in 2022, examining education apps recommended or required by a sample of school districts nationwide. The subsequent analysis aimed to uncover disparities based on student demographics, revealing significant differences in app vetting practices among schools.
Notably, lower-income schools, serving families earning between $20,000 and $39,000 annually, lacked systematic vetting of recommended technology, unlike their wealthier counterparts. Conversely, schools serving higher-income families were more likely to scrutinize the technology used by students.
Additionally, the analysis highlighted disparities in data privacy practices, with schools serving low-income and majority-Black student populations facing more significant challenges. Nonetheless, even basic vetting procedures proved effective in mitigating risks associated with ads and behavioral tracking.
LeVasseur recommends that schools with limited resources, at the very least, verify whether apps possess a COPPA Safe Harbor Seal before endorsing them. This seal, part of the Child Online Privacy Protection Act, signifies compliance with privacy guidelines, offering a measure of assurance to users.