Friday, August 28, 2015

Surveillance Society: Students easy targets for data miners

What kid wouldn’t want to be able to create an electronic science fair poster, with photos and embedded video, using their smartphone — all on the morning bus ride on the day it’s due?
Glogster EDU lets kids do that and, according to its website, it’s setting up “2,000 new teacher accounts daily,” each with, presumably, a classroom full of kids attached.

According to its public statements, though, the Czech Republic-based firm may be assembling more than photos of vinegar-and-baking-soda volcanoes.
The company’s privacy policy said it may collect a user’s “name, address, email ... date of birth, gender, country,” as well as “interests, hobbies, lifestyle choices, groups with whom they are affiliated (schools, companies), videos and/or pictures, private messages, bulletins or personal statements.”
It may share information about users with “consumer products, telecom, financial, military, market research, entertainment, and educational services companies,” according to its website...

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/surveillance-society/2015/08/20/Surveillance-Society-Students-easy-targets-for-data-miners/stories/201508230018

1 comment:

  1. Sounds a lot like the TenMarks software used by MCPS math teachers. Owned by Amazon, TenMarks is upfront about collecting and commercializing students' and parents' personal data. The problem is it violates the MD Student privacy data law. Why is MCPS allowing TenMarks in MD schools?

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