FTC Targets Edmodo for Unlawful Use of Children’s Data and Delegating Compliance to Schools

Summary

Edmodo, an education technology provider, violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule) by collecting and using children's personal data for advertising purposes without parental consent, according to the FTC. The company outsourced its compliance responsibilities to schools, thereby making them "solely" responsible for COPPA compliance without adequate disclosure. Edmodo is facing a proposed order prohibiting such practices, marking a precedent in the ed tech industry.

Developers

• Edmodo

Deployers

• Edmodo

Harmed parties

• Teachers
• Students
• Schools and teachers who were misinformed and burdened with COPPA compliance responsibilities without adequate disclosure
• Minors
• Educational communities
• Children whose data was collected and used for advertising
• Biometric data subjects
• Privacy

Tags

• FTC
• Ed Tech
• Data privacy
• Minors
• Education