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FTC, Department of Education Announce Education Technology Workshop to Explore Privacy Issues

Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security Agency Rule-Making & Guidance FTC Department of Education COPPA

Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security

On October 4, the FTC and the Department of Education issued a notice announcing a joint Ed Tech (education technology) workshop to examine the challenges concerning privacy implications as more schools are using school-issued personal computing devices. The workshop will discuss issues surrounding the FTC’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA) as it applies to schools and how it intersects with the Department of Education’s Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which is designed to protect the privacy of students’ education records. The workshop, which is open to the public, will be held in Washington, D.C., on December 1.

As previously covered in InfoBytes, the FTC made modifications to COPPA’s safe harbor program this past July that now require all participants to conduct a comprehensive annual internal assessment of any third-party or service provider that collects personal information from children on their websites or through online services, in addition to issuing updates in June regarding resources companies can use to ensure COPPA compliance.