Human Rights Watch: EdTech products endorsed by Governments harm children’s right

Human Rights Watch reports that EdTech products endorsed by governments endanger children’s rights, with a study finding that a majority of these products breach children’s privacy and rights, gathering personal data for unrelated purposes such as targeted advertising.

A new report by Human Rights Watch “How Dare They Peep into My Private Life?” that investigated 146 education technology (EdTech) products that were endorsed by 49 governments for children’s education during the pandemic, pose a risk to the children. The investigation found that products made by 39 governments  while handling children’s personal data risked or infringed on their rights. 

Most(89%) of the EdTech platforms were found violating children’s privacy and other children’s rights, for purposes unrelated to their education. Most of these products monitored the children, with or without consent, installed tracking technologies that trailed children outside their virtual classroom  for harvesting their personal data and usage patterns and  then using targeted advertisements.