Companies Pledge to Protect Student Data

Microsoft is among more than 20 firms that have pledged to protect student data following a new California law that restricts how education technology companies can utilize information harvested from students, according to The New York Times.

The companies that have signed the pledge are viewable on Studentprivacypledge.org. The pledge is voluntary and not legally binding, however companies that violate the terms of the agreement are subject to enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission.

The California student privacy statute updates protections from the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which heretofore has not kept up with the changing tides of education technology.