Report: “Review of Federal Student Aid’s Oversight and Monitoring of Private Collection Agency and Guaranty Agency Security Controls” Organization: Education Department’s inspector general Summary: The Education Department is not doing enough to ensure that student-loan debt collectors and guarantors are safeguarding sensitive student-loan information. Read more on Chronicle of Higher Education. And then keep in mind that in…
Category: Youth & Schools
6 Questions Districts Should Ask Companies to Protect Student Data
Gretchen M. Shipley writes: School districts should also be proactive in asking key questions from online operators and sites made available to students, like: What type of information does the operator collect from students? Is the information used for commercial purposes? (If so, a school cannot consent on behalf of the parent.) Is the information…
Wristbands to track Florida students’ weight, activity
Victor Skinner reports: John Hopkins Medicine researchers will track the physical activities and daily diet of 50 overweight freshman from Lakewood High School as part of a pilot project using Fitbit – an electronic wristband that records activity and sleep patterns. The effort, funded by a $100,000 grant from insurer Florida Blue, is focused more…
Privacy activists hit FTC over kids rules
Julian Hattem reports: Privacy advocates are criticizing the Federal Trade Commission for what they call lax oversight of laws designed to protect children’s privacy. The Center for Digital Democracy and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood on Tuesday filed comments with the FTC accusing AgeCheq — a company offering a service that lets parents allow websites…