More federal and state policymakers are focusing on addressing data privacy, especially for children, because of increasing concerns about how companies collect and sell user information and how that affects users’ mental health.
The problem with some of those policies, according to school data-privacy experts, is they don’t always consider how day-to-day school operations would be affected. Schools use student data to support decisionmaking, to personalize learning, and for better reporting as required under federal and state laws.
In an April 15 webinar hosted by the Software & Information Industry Association, data-privacy experts discussed three bills Congress is considering and their implications for K-12 schools. The experts were: Amelia Vance, the founder and president of nonprofit advocacy organization Public Interest Privacy Center; Kristin Woelfel, a policy counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit that advocates online civil liberties; and Sara Kloek, the vice president of education and children’s policy at SIIA, a trade association for technology companies.
The Kids Online Safety Act , or KOSA, was first introduced in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., in February 2022. It failed to pass during that session, so the lawmakers reintroduced the bill in May 2023. As of April 2024, the bill has 67 co-sponsors in the Senate.
KOSA would require certain online platforms to provide children with options to protect their information, disable addictive features, and opt out of personalized recommendations. Those platforms would also be required to design and operate their products in ways that prevent or mitigate negative effects on children, such as mental health disorders, bullying, and sexual exploitation. The bill would apply to any “online platform, online video game, messaging application, or video streaming service that connects to the internet and that is used, or is reasonably likely to be used, by a minor.” It exempts internet service providers, email services, educational institutions, and other specified entities from the requirements.
“This bill seems to be in response to a lot of attention around social media and impacts that it has been suggested to have on kids,” Woelfel said. “I don’t think KOSA was intended to interfere with any K-12 education services.”
IT Infrastructure & Management Leader To Learn From Through Wars, Tornadoes, and Cyberattacks, He's a Guardian of Student Privacy
