Online Safety

Privacy & Security Punish Kids by Taking Away Mobile Devices? A #TBT Look Back to 2010
Devices and apps have evolved since 2010, probably more quickly than parents' strategies for monitoring teens' digital usage and regulating teens' digital access as a form of discipline.
Benjamin Herold, September 11, 2014
2 min read
Federal New York Court Weighs Legality of 'Cyberbullying' Policy
New York's highest court considers what is expected to be a landmark case for policies criminalizing cyberbullying.
Sam Atkeson, June 17, 2014
4 min read
Assessment Kansas Suspends State Tests Following Cyber Attacks
Attacks perpetrated by unknown hackers forced Kansas officials to suspend administration of pilot exams meant to prepare schools for the transition to new academic standards.
Benjamin Herold, April 2, 2014
4 min read
Privacy & Security Americans Worried, Uninformed About Student Data Privacy, Survey Finds
The nonprofit group Common Sense Media found overwhelming bipartisan support for proposals geared towards safeguarding children's personal information.
Benjamin Herold, January 22, 2014
3 min read
Federal Districts' Use of Cloud Computing Brings Privacy Risks, Study Says
More school districts are relying on cloud-computing services, but they have not put in place safeguards for protecting students' personal information, a study finds.
Sean Cavanagh, December 13, 2013
4 min read
Students photograph themselves with an iPad during a class at Broadacres Elementary School in Carson, Calif.
Students photograph themselves with an iPad during a class at Broadacres Elementary School in Carson, Calif.
Bob Chamberlin/Los Angeles Times/AP
Privacy & Security Los Angeles District Responds to iPad Security Breaches
The Los Angeles Unified School District announced new safety measures following reports of missing devices and hacked security systems on student iPads.
Benjamin Herold, October 1, 2013
3 min read
Privacy & Security Cloud Computing Jeopardizes Student Privacy, Report Warns
The growing use of cloud computing by European schools is putting students there at risk of being "tracked and profiled," a new report says.
Benjamin Herold, September 26, 2013
2 min read
Classroom Technology Indiana Students Quickly Outwit School iPad Security
Hundreds of Indiana students circumvented security filters on new district-issued iPads, highlighting a major challenge with device deployments.
Benjamin Herold, September 24, 2013
1 min read
Privacy & Security Cyber Attacks on School Networks Increasing
A recent "denial-of-service" attack on Kentucky's statewide student data-management network highlights how districts are being targeted by hackers.
Sean Meehan, September 23, 2013
4 min read
Classroom Technology Social Media a 'Frightening' New Threat to Test Security?
Social media and the extended testing windows of multi-state, common-core exams could mean new opportunities to cheat, said an industry expert.
Benjamin Herold, August 12, 2013
2 min read
Privacy & Security FCC Appoints Director of Digital Learning
The FCC announced the appointment of Michael Steffen as Director of Digital Learning, a new digital learning role.
Sean Cavanagh & Victoria O'Dea, April 18, 2013
1 min read
Privacy & Security Free-Speech Groups Condemn Suspensions Over "Harlem Shake" Video
Several Pennsylvania students were suspended for a what a school labeled a "very graphic and very vulgar" imitation of the Harlem Shake, prompting condemnation from civil rights groups.
Mike Bock, March 13, 2013
1 min read
Privacy & Security Ohio School Community at Center of Controversy Threatened by Cyber Attacks
A number of digital threats made in a small Ohio community following a high-profile rape investigation illustrate the complicated nature of school cyber security in the 21st century.
Mike Bock, January 17, 2013
2 min read
Privacy & Security New Federal Rules on Children's Privacy Set for Digital Devices
The Federal Trade Commission finalized rules that specify the types of personal information that cannot be collected from children without parental notice and consent.
Sean Cavanagh, December 19, 2012
2 min read