Data-Privacy Bill Endorsed by Educator Groups; Industry Wary

In a surprising turnaround, new legislation that would significantly up the federal government's involvement in protecting student-data privacy was introduced in the US House with support from educator groups. But the "Student Digital Privacy and Parental Rights Act of 2015," pulled just over a month ago following sharp criticism over vendor-friendly loopholes, has so far received a lukewarm reaction from the ed-tech industry.

The bill would prohibit ed-tech companies from selling student information and targeting students with advertisements. Vendors would be required to meet a host of new requirements on everything from data security to data retention to breach notification, as well as to be more transparent about their privacy policies, the nature of the information they collect from students, and with whom they share that information. The Federal Trade Commission would be given enforcement authority over the industry. During a call with reporters, the bill's sponsors, Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) and Jared Polis (D-CO) said their aim was to address four broad goals: better protecting student privacy, empowering parents, encouraging innovative uses of technology in the classroom, and ensuring strong accountability in the ed-tech industry.