FTC announces to come down heavily on Ed Tech companies illegally surveilling minors
The Federal Trade Commission vows to crack down on Ed Tech companies conducting illegal surveillance on minors during online learning. Compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act is crucial, with potential civil penalties for violators.
In an open meeting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC ) in the USA FTC voted 5-0 and adopted a new policy statement announcing that it will come down heavily on educational companies that illegally survey children while they are learning online.
The statement mentions that it is illegal for companies to coerce parents and schools to forfeit children’s privacy rights in order to do schoolwork online or attend class remotely. This is against the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) where it specifies that companies cannot deny children access to educational technologies when their parents or school refuse to sign up for commercial surveillance. Ed tech providers must comply fully with all provisions of the COPPA Rule. In case a company fails to follow the COPPA Rule, they could face potential civil penalties and new requirements and limitations on their business practices.
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