FTC To "Crack Down" On Ed Tech's Use Of Children's Data

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unanimously approved a Policy Statement that focuses on the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act's (COPPA's) application to education technologies (Ed Tech) used in and by schools to support learning, including remote learning. This is especially significant now that the pandemic has made online learning fairly common, causing the Ed Tech industry to undergo exponential growth. A hybrid model of learning that combines in-person teaching with Ed Tech products, whether remotely or in the classroom, is likely to be the lasting outcome of the pandemic.

The Policy Statement

COPPA places a variety of obligations on operators of online services directed to children under 13 or services that knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The Policy Statement emphasizes that children should not have to hand over their data and forfeit their right to privacy in order to do their schoolwork or participate in remote