While there are a lot of concerns about tech giants serving the field of education that opens up several possibilities for misuse of students’ personal information, Microsoft has stepped up to convince parents and the educational board by signing the Student Privacy Pledge, thereby agreeing to use student information only to improvise its products and not to sell the data to any advertiser.
With this move, Microsoft joins 13 others who have signed the pledge including Follett, Learnmetrics, Knovation, and more who specialize in the education sector.
Under the terms of the pledge, the companies may collect students’ personal information and use it to tailor packages and services but may not sell the information or use it to target students for advertisements or other commercial activities.
Microsoft Vice President for Worldwide Education, Anthony Salcito shared the news at the Future of Privacy Forum. Salcito said that student data should be used to improve education and not to target them for advertising and that Microsoft is making a clear public commitment to protect student privacy and ensure security of information.
The pledge also requires the companies to support parental access to information maintained by the companies about their children and also request them to make corrections if needed.
The pledge is also backed by politicians and schools in addition to regulatory bodies. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy wrote to the U.S. Congress in July this year to urge for new laws and sort out the shortcomings of the existing laws governing student privacy issues.
A bill was also introduced in the U.S. Senate to amend the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The Protecting Student Privacy Act amendment primarily aims to protect student privacy.
The pledge was developed in joint association by the Future of Privacy Forum and the Software & Information Industry Association.
