Online and Observed: New CDT Research Highlights Privacy Implications of School-Issued Devices and Student Activity Monitoring Software
Although many students are returning to in-person instruction, several features of the remote learning era will carry over into the new school year. These include expanded school and district programs for providing laptops and tablets to students, and, relatedly, increased use of monitoring software that can track students’ behavior online. The programs aim to expand educational opportunities and keep students safe and productive online, but they also introduce challenges for student privacy protection.
Today, CDT is releasing new original research that investigates the privacy and equity implications of school-issued devices and student activity monitoring software in K-12 schools. The research release features:
- A qualitative study on the implications of these technologies, based on interviews with technology leaders at local education agencies.
- A report featuring original polling research on teacher, parent, and student attitudes toward student activity monitoring software, as well as policy recommendations.
We found that student activity monitoring software is used extensively in K-12 schools, most often on school-issued devices. Our findings suggest that students in higher-poverty districts may face disproportionate levels of activity monitoring due to greater reliance on school-issued devices rather than privately-owned personal devices. We also identified other areas of privacy concern reported by teachers, parents, and students regarding the use of student activity monitoring software. Check out the qualitative study and polling research report to explore our full set of findings.
Released alongside the reports are a slide deck with expanded polling data, a brief discussing our high-level findings, and a blog post that investigates the implications of the research.
In response to the new research, CDT and multiple other influential civil society groups called for policymakers to clarify that the Children’s Internet Protection Act does not require broad, invasive, and constant surveillance of students’ lives online. We also asked Congress to adopt policies to codify student privacy practices, since federal funds are dispersed to provide school-issued devices. The letter has so far also been signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Learner Equity, Getting Smart, Hispanic Technology & Telecommunications Partnership, InnovateEDU, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association.
Schools should act now to protect student privacy and minimize digital inequities. Uncritical adoption of student activity monitoring software risks moving in the wrong direction, but with responsible planning and policymaking, education leaders can keep students safe and promote equitable access to quality educational opportunities.
