Lawmakers, parents raise questions about
student privacy at Illinois schools
As
technology takes center stage in the classroom, Illinois lawmakers worry that
students may be giving up sensitive information without their knowledge.
A group
of parents concerned about how their children’s data is being protected spoke Tuesday
to the House Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and IT Committee. They told
lawmakers their children had been forced to take surveys for third-party
companies, and unknowingly gave up personal information when they were issued
devices at schools.
One year
ago, Illinois’ Student Online Protection Act took
effect, but advocates say that companies are finding ways around the law as
technology evolves.
Cassie
Creswell with Raise Your Hand Action told the committee that schools in
Illinois are commonly dealing with data breaches and that the free technology
that schools are using often mines the students' data for benefit.
“We
certainly don’t want to say ‘here’s these great free apps but the cost is your
data,'” she said.
Creswell
was pushing for a bill that would allow parents more
access to their student's data.
Sara
Kloek with the Software and Information Industry Association said her member
industries have strong rules in place to make sure student data is private and
protected.
“Our
members take student privacy very seriously,” she said, also cautioning that
burdensome laws could keep children away from new technology, putting them
behind others that have access.
Rebecca
Glenberg, senior staff attorney with ACLU Illinois, said parents and
administrators shouldn’t have to choose between not having access to technology
and handing over a child’s sensitive information to a pervasive software
system.
“No one
should be coerced to give up their data as the cost to sending their child to
public school.
Illinois’
Biometric Information Privacy act has led to a number of services not being
offered in Illinois.
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