Joe Fay reports:
An Austrian digital privacy group has claimed victory over Microsoft after the country’s data protection regulator ruled the software giant “illegally” tracked students via its 365 Education platform and used their data.
noyb said the ruling [PDF] by the Austrian Data Protection Authority also confirmed that Microsoft had tried to shift responsibility for access requests to local schools, and the software and cloud giant would have to explain how it used user data.
The ruling could have far-reaching effects for Microsoft and its obligations to inform Microsoft 365 users across Europe about what it is doing with their data, noyb argues.
The complaint dates back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools rapidly shifted to online learning, using the likes of 365 Education.
The privacy group said: “Microsoft shifted all responsibility to comply with privacy laws onto schools and national authorities – that have little to no actual control over the use of student data.”
Read more at The Register.