Privacy

Dust isn’t the only thing your Roomba is taking in…it is also recording maps of your house. Although the company is adamant that they take customer privacy very seriously and will always ask customers to opt-in to allow the storage of this information, there are of course critics who are raising concerns, especially in light of discussions about the data being sold to tech giants such as Google, Apple and Amazon. While this kind of data collection may be concerning, it is important for customers to understand why the data is collected and how it is being used in order to make an informed decision, as this kind of data is often necessary for establishing Smart Home networks.

Are you wondering what happens to data collected on your child at school? Do you know what data is collected, why, or how it is protected? One resource available online that can be useful in learning the rights of parents and guardians as part of the information gathering process is the Data Quality Campaign site. 

Are you wondering what happens to data collected on your child at school? Do you know what data is collected, why, or how it is protected? One resource available online that can be useful in learning the rights of parents and guardians as part of the information gathering process is the Data Quality Campaign site. 

Here’s a bad piece of news. Our cell phone numbers becoming a lot like Social Security numbers: they are the gateway to our identities, providing an entrance to personal data – your email address, physical address, even physical whereabouts—and all the personal information that is kept about you by nearly all corporations, financial institutions, and social media networks. Yet when we are asked for our cell numbers for whatever reason, we often give them out without even a second thought.  What can you do? Take a look at these tips and use common sense. If you are asked for your phone number, it never hurts to ask why.

Here’s a bad piece of news. Our cell phone numbers becoming a lot like Social Security numbers: they are the gateway to our identities, providing an entrance to personal data – your email address, physical address, even physical whereabouts—and all the personal information that is kept about you by nearly all corporations, financial institutions, and social media networks. Yet when we are asked for our cell numbers for whatever reason, we often give them out without even a second thought.  What can you do? Take a look at these tips and use common sense. If you are asked for your phone number, it never hurts to ask why.

Many students and their parents are unaware of how schools or third-party companies are using their data -- or that it is being tracked at all. A list of the State Student Privacy Laws that have been passed is available on the The Education Privacy Resource Center site along with other resources for parents, students and educators. Also at issue is what happens to privacy on school issued laptops. Legislatures need to address this issue by looking into laws surrounding social media privacy, one-to-one devices, student information and learning management systems, and educational apps. There is also the question of how this applies to the personal technologies students bring with them to school.

How students use their own devices during personal time is subject to scrutiny by school officials as well. Social media continues to be a contentious space with murky boundaries between what’s public and private. “Is it important that students are able to use social media to engage in private conversations that are not known to the world? Yes, that is very important. Otherwise, you are depriving students of what may be one of the most critical first amendment vehicles of the 21st century,” says the America Civil Liberties Union’s Advocacy and Policy Counsel, Chad A. Marlow, speaking on social media rights for students.

Does your child use a school issued laptop or tablet? Do you know how their privacy rights are protected? Do you know what information is being collected about them? These are questions you may want to ask your school officials.

Many students and their parents are unaware of how schools or third-party companies are using their data -- or that it is being tracked at all. A list of the State Student Privacy Laws that have been passed is available on the The Education Privacy Resource Center site along with other resources for parents, students and educators. Also at issue is what happens to privacy on school issued laptops. Legislatures need to address this issue by looking into laws surrounding social media privacy, one-to-one devices, student information and learning management systems, and educational apps. There is also the question of how this applies to the personal technologies students bring with them to school.

How students use their own devices during personal time is subject to scrutiny by school officials as well. Social media continues to be a contentious space with murky boundaries between what’s public and private. “Is it important that students are able to use social media to engage in private conversations that are not known to the world? Yes, that is very important. Otherwise, you are depriving students of what may be one of the most critical first amendment vehicles of the 21st century,” says the America Civil Liberties Union’s Advocacy and Policy Counsel, Chad A. Marlow, speaking on social media rights for students.

Does your child use a school issued laptop or tablet? Do you know how their privacy rights are protected? Do you know what information is being collected about them? These are questions you may want to ask your school officials.

Where should you look when a question comes up at home about setting parental controls or whether you should post those pictures of your kids online? Try the Privacy and Internet Safety section of the Common Sense Media site. While there are research articles all over the web with information on this subject, this section covers a wide range of topics and is something you might want to add to your browser’s bookmarks for quick reference.