Favorite Congress has resurrected the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. KOSA was introduced in 2022 but failed to gain traction, and today its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), have reintroduced it with slight…
All posts tagged Student Privacy
Schools and EdTech Need to Study Up On Student Privacy: 2022 in Review
Favorite In 2022, student privacy gets a solid “C” grade. The trend of schools engaging in student surveillance did not let up in 2022. There were, however, some small wins indicative of a growing movement to push back against this encroachment. Unfortunately, more schools than ever are spying on students through EdTech software and other…
Daycare and Early Childhood Education Apps: 2022 in Review
Favorite Last year, several parents at EFF enrolled kids into daycare and were instantly told to download an application for managing their children’s care. These applications frequently include notifications of feedings, diaper changes, pictures, activities, and who picked-up/dropped-off the child—potentially useful features for overcoming separation anxiety of newly enrolled children and their anxious parents. But…
Coalition of Human Rights, LGBTQ+ Organizations Tell Congress to Oppose the Kids Online Safety Act
Favorite Yesterday, nearly 100 organizations have asked Congress not to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would “force providers to use invasive filtering and monitoring tools; jeopardize private, secure communications; incentivize increased data collection on children and adults; and undermine the delivery of critical services to minors by public agencies like schools.” EFF…
Federal Judge: Invasive Online Proctoring "Room Scans" Are Unconstitutional
Favorite Online proctoring companies employ a lengthy list of dangerous monitoring and tracking techniques in an attempt to determine whether or not students are potentially cheating, many of which are biased and ineffective. This week, one of the more invasive techniques—the “room scan”—was correctly deemed unconstitutional by a federal judge. “Room scans” are a common…
Daycare Apps Are Dangerously Insecure
Favorite Last year, several parents at EFF enrolled kids into daycare and were instantly told to download an application for managing their children’s care. Daycare and preschool applications frequently include notifications of feedings, diaper changes, pictures, activities, and which guardian picked-up/dropped-off the child—potentially useful features for overcoming separation anxiety of newly enrolled children and their…
Mandatory Student Spyware Is Creating a Perfect Storm of Human Rights Abuses
Favorite Spyware apps were foisted on students at the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Today, long after most students have returned to in-person learning, those apps are still proliferating, and enabling an ever-expanding range of human rights abuses. In a recent Center for Democracy and Technology report, 81 percent of teachers said their schools use some form…
Podcast Episode: Teaching AI to Its Targets
Favorite Too many young people – particularly young people of color – lack enough familiarity or experience with emerging technologies to recognize how artificial intelligence can impact their lives, in either a harmful or an empowering way. Educator Ora Tanner saw this and rededicated her career toward promoting tech literacy and changing how we understand…
Canvas and other Online Learning Platforms Aren't Perfect—Just Ask Students
Favorite School digital environments are increasingly locked down, increasingly invasive, and increasingly used for disciplinary action. This has never been more troubling than during the pandemic, with schools adopting remote proctoring and surveillance tools at alarming rates and entering students’ homes via school-issued and personal devices. As students have tried to educate their teachers and…
EFF Client Erik Johnson and Proctorio Settle Lawsuit Over Bogus DMCA Claims
Favorite EFF client Erik Johnson, a Miami University computer engineering undergraduate, reached a settlement in the lawsuit we brought on his behalf against exam surveillance software maker Proctorio, in a victory for fair use of copyrighted material and people’s right to fight back against bad faith Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedowns used to silence…