Allison Prang reports:
If you’re a student at a Kansas college or university, you don’t need to worry about your school giving your contact information to companies that want to sell you their products or services.
It’s illegal.
But if you’re a student at a college or university in Missouri, you just might need to be concerned.
Companies and outside organizations frequently request broad lists of directory information from schools
In Missouri there are no prohibitions against using it for marketing aimed at students.
Read more on Kansas City Star.
And if your kid is returning to college, take a moment to read their college’s FERPA/privacy policy and find out: (1) what their college considers “directory information,” and (2) how to opt-out of whatever you do not want your kid’s contact or directory information used for. You will not have the right/option to opt out of everything, but you may want to opt out of what you can.