Daines, Blumenthal Introduce SAFE KIDS Education Privacy Bill
Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced student privacy legislation Thursday, as expected (see 1507140037). It builds on ideas generated by a student data privacy working group in 2014, the legislators said in a joint news release said. It said that the Safeguarding American Families from Exposure by Keeping Information and Data Secure (SAFE KIDS) Act legislation would establish clear parameters for third-party operators when using data collected from students, allows parents to control access to their children’s information, and empowers the FTC to oversee and enforce collection, storage and usage of covered student data.
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“As classrooms increasingly rely on technology like apps and cloud services to bolster learning,” there is increased concern about student data being peddled for revenue, Blumenthal said. “The perils of privacy invasion and data abuse must be stopped at the classroom door with laws that match advancing technology,” he said. “Securing students’ digital information is critical to ensuring that our kids’ privacy is protected,” said Daines.
Companies from the education and technology sectors endorsed the legislation. Microsoft Corporate Vice President-U.S. Government Affairs Fred Humphries called the measure a “major step forward in striking the right balance between protecting student privacy and fostering innovation in schools.” The National Education Association signed onto a letter in support of the act. SAFE KIDS provides “appropriate and much needed student data protections without discouraging school service operators (including state or locally operated virtual schools) from creating digital educational products that improve teaching and learning,” said the letter.
“The best way to ensure all children can benefit from the use of educational technology is to guarantee them and their parents that their privacy is protected and their data is secure,” said Common Sense and Common Sense Kids Action CEO Jim Steyer. “We need legislation and safeguards, as evidenced by the exposure of [education company] Pearson's spying on students’ social media accounts and using students' personal information,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Companies should not have more privacy protections than students, Weingarten said, calling the bill a “good first step.”
The Center for Democracy & Technology agreed that while technology has power to enhance learning and educational outcomes, “we must ensure that innovation is balanced with the privacy of students.” CDT noted that “existing federal law has failed to keep pace with the rapid adoption of technology in the classroom and unclear protections for students’ data.” Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise (D), now Alliance for Excellent Education president, endorsed the legislation, as did Data Quality Campaign Vice President-Policy and Advocacy Paige Kowalski. She said that the bill “proposes new protections that ensure data, including data collected through the use of online apps and websites, are used appropriately to benefit students.”