Ensuring the safety and privacy of children and families is of utmost importance, particularly in educational settings where technology has become vital. However, the pervasive impact of technology and its unethical use has been difficult to measure and capture. A recent report published by the Internet Safety Labs and funded by the Internet Society Foundation Research Program, attempts to systematically evaluate safety standards of the Internet and has unveiled concerning findings. The report titled “2022 K12 Edtech Safety Benchmark: National Findings, Part I” highlights the substantial privacy and safety risks posed by the technology recommended and used by U.S. educational institutions.
Key Findings:
- Personal Information Sharing: An alarming 96% of educational apps share children’s personal information with third parties. Out of these, 78% of the time, the information is shared with advertising and data analytics entities, often without the users’ or schools’ knowledge or consent.
- Non-Education Specific Apps: Approximately 28% of the apps tested were non-education specific, such as The New York Times, YouTube, or Spotify. These apps lack necessary limits and guardrails for children.
- Digital Ads in School Apps: 23% of school apps expose children to digital ads. This risks personal student data being sent into advertising networks without public oversight. Furthermore, 13% of these apps use retargeting ads, utilizing cookies, search history, and site history to deliver targeted advertising, further compromising student data privacy.
- Dominance of Google and Apple: Google dominates K12 edtech as the primary hardware and software supplier, with 68% of apps observed sending data to Google. Apple follows closely with 36% of apps sending data to the company. There is growing apprehension about the welfare of kids who are heavily linked to the Internet via the leading advertising platforms worldwide.
These findings are significant in understanding where we are at with safety standards for children in an increasingly digital world. The benchmark study can also help improve awareness among relevant stakeholders such as students, educators, parents, policymakers etc. and hold education app developers accountable to higher standards of safety.
“The Internet Society Foundation grant was instrumental in bringing this research to life.”
Interview with the Executive Director at Internet Safety Labs
We spoke with Lisa LeVasseur, the Executive Director at Internet Safety Labs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to independent software product safety testing, regarding the research findings. When asked about the project’s goal, Lisa explained, “The purpose of our project was to measure the safety of technology used by K12 students in the U.S. We wanted to create a solid benchmark that could be used as a foundation for future comparisons and improvements in the technology required of K12 students.”
Regarding the inspiration behind the research, Lisa emphasized the vulnerability of children and their need for protection. She said, “Children are among the most vulnerable citizens, and we wanted to start our software safety benchmarks by looking at the technology that K12 students were using in the U.S. We had performed earlier research on edtech apps, and we knew they had privacy issues, but we wanted to be able to quantify the situation with more accuracy.”
Lisa also highlighted the crucial role played by the Internet Society Foundation in supporting the project. She stated, “The Internet Society Foundation grant was instrumental in bringing this research to life. It paid for our researchers to collect and analyze data from our sample of K12 schools across the U.S. and the apps they expose students to.”
Finally, the Executive Director at Internet Safety Labs shared a meaningful message for those interested in pursuing similar work. She stated, “Internet Society Foundation is a valuable ally in supporting research to make the Internet safe for humans and humanity. Their support has been a powerful source of validation for our pioneering work in software product safety.”
The Internet Safety Labs report underscores the urgent need for increased safety and privacy measures in the technology used by U.S. educational institutions. With most educational apps sharing children’s personal information without proper consent and control, steps must be taken to protect the privacy of students and their families. The Internet Society Foundation continues to support initiatives to ensure a safe and trustworthy internet for everyone. By championing ideas and enabling communities, the Foundation strives to unlock the Internet’s full potential while addressing evolving challenges.
To access the full report, “2022 K12 Edtech Safety Benchmark: National Findings, Part I,” free of charge, please visit https://internetsafetylabs.org/resources/reports/2022-k12-edtech-safety-benchmark-national-findings-part-1/.
To learn more about our Research Program, please visit this link: https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant-programme/research-grant-programme/
About Internet Safety Labs: Internet Safety Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to independent software product safety testing. They aim to ensure software product safety through standards development, product research, product audits, and policy advocacy. They believe software and software-driven products should be tested with the same safety rigor applied daily to physical products.
About the Internet Society Foundation: The Internet Society Foundation, established in 2019, aims to leverage the power of the Internet to make a positive difference for people worldwide. Guided by the vision of an Internet for Everyone, the Foundation supports projects that provide meaningful access to an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet for all. Grants are awarded to Internet Society Chapters, nonprofit organizations, and individuals dedicated to achieving these goals.