The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned last week that the rapid proliferation of education technologies in schools poses privacy and safety risks for children.
“The widespread collection of sensitive information by ed-tech could present unique exploitation opportunities for criminals,” says a public-service announcement issued by the bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. “Malicious use of this sensitive data could result in social engineering, bullying, tracking, identity theft, or other means for targeting children,” the agency advised.
Cited in the announcement is a wide range of sensitive information collected in schools, including personally identifiable information; biometric data; students’ web-browsing histories, IP addresses, and geolocation; behavioral, disciplinary, and medical information; and academic and classroom data.
