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Groundbreaking K12 EdTech Safety Benchmark from ISL Garners Press

Written by Internet Safety Labs
September 21, 2023

In late 2022 and throughout 2023 ISL has published ongoing findings and data from the first of its kind US K12 EdTech Safety Benchmark. Media outlets continue to reference and report on our research (an updated list below):  

Press

Publication Title
Governing: The Future of States and Localities
 Does Facial Recognition and Other Tech Make Schools Safer?
Government Technology – Center for Digital Education   What Educators Should Know About Facial-Recognition Tech
Education Week Does Facial Recognition Technology Make Schools Safer? What Educators Need to Know
Forbes  The Top Target For Ransomware? It’s Now K-12 Schools 
PossibilIT (MeriTalk publication)  ISL Finds Spotty Student Tech Vetting 
Government Technology – Center for Digital Education   What Does the EdTech Explosion Mean for Student Privacy?  
Mahomet Daily   A look at student-data issues as the 2023-24 school year approaches  
The Journal   Majority of School Apps Advertising to Kids Even In SOPIPA States, ISL Data Shows  
K-12 Dive   Class action lawsuit claims school security software company violated students’ privacy  
Education Week   Districts, Take Note: Privacy Is Rare in Apps Used in Schools  
K-12 Dive   Districts used 2,591 ed tech tools on average in 2022-23  
Government Technology – Center for Digital Education   Report: K-12 Apps Share Student Data Nearly Unchecked  
District Administration   Safety first: Schools must vet their edtech tools for privacy and protection  
EdSurge   As Number of Edtech Providers Grow, Some Say Student Privacy Needs a Reset  
Edutopia   6 Steps to Protect Student Data Privacy  
K-12 Dive   Top ed tech sites used by schools employ ‘extensive’ tracking tools  
PBS   VPM NEWS FOCAL POINT | Data Privacy  
Connecticut Examiner   Social Emotional Learning at a Crossroads  
NBC San Antonio   Nearly every app your child is using in class could collect their personal information  
AOL   96% Of K-12 Apps Share Children’s Data With Third Parties  
Consumer Affairs   Your kids’ school apps may be invading their privacy  
NBC Antonio  Nearly every app your child is using in class could collect their personal information 
Consumer Affairs  Your kids’ school apps may be invading their privacy 
Fort Worth Star Telegram  Fort Worth parents can opt their children out of surveys. Why did they push for change? 
The National Desk  Big school district sues social media companies, but advocate says ‘it’s not enough’ 
Crisis in the Classroom (Sinclair Broadcasting) for The National Desk  Majority of apps used in schools expose personal student data, study shows 
District Administration  Are the apps students use at school actually safe? Research may prove otherwise 
Voice of San Diego  The Learning Curve: One Parent’s Experience with San Diego Unified’s Transitional Kindergarten 
The 74  Startling 96% of School Tech Exposes Student Data, Research Finds 
The 74  School [in] Security Newsletter – Research & Reports 
Marketwatch  ‘Children are the product’: Researchers find students across the country use apps riddled with ads and trackers 
Education Week  Are Most Apps Schools Use Really ‘Unsafe’ for Children? Product Safety Group Says Yes 
Government Technology – Center for Digital Education  Report: 96% of K-12 Apps Share Student Data With Third Parties 
Activist Post  New Report Reveals That Most Ed-Tech Software Tools Share Student Data With 3rd Parties Often Without User Consent 
Cyberscoop  Most apps used in US classrooms share students’ personal data with advertisers, researchers find 

This work was funded by a grant from the Internet Society Foundation.