Pierces the technology fog to show what is really going on with children’s private and personal data inside EdTech applications SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2023 – Internet Safety Labs, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent software product safety testing, today...
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Me2B Alliance, a non-profit standards and advocacy organization focused on safe and respectful technology, today announced that it has been awarded a $100,000 grant by the Internet Society Foundation. The foundation funds initiatives that strengthen the Internet in function and reach so that it can effectively serve all people.
As we move into the time of year when we highlight the celebration and sharing of gratitude, Me2B Alliance would like to express our gratitude to the Internet Society Foundation. The Internet Society Foundation recently granted the Me2B Alliance $100,000 to complete its “U.S. EdTech Industry Benchmark: Data Sharing in Primary & Secondary School Mobile Utility Apps.” The benchmark will build on previous findings about harmful data sharing practices by uncovering how sensitive student information is being treated by school utility apps in grades pre-k through 12 in schools across the nation.
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Me2B Alliance, a non-profit standards and advocacy organization focused on safe and respectful technology, today published a Spotlight Report which illustrates the significance of permission, relevance, and control when it comes to location tracking in websites and mobile apps. According to Me2BA’s research, 55% of people say it is “creepy” when websites know their location when they are first opened. In total, 81% of respondents used at least one negative term, including creepy, bad, annoying, scary, and confusing, to describe location tracking in websites. 68% used those same negative terms to describe location tracking in mobile apps.
The California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (“CPRA”) established the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”). The CPPA has full administrative power and authority to implement the CCPA and CPRA, which basically means that the CPPA will be in charge of updating regulations and adopting new regulations, while enforcement of these regulations will be done by both the CPPA and the Attorney General’s office.
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Me2B Alliance, a non-profit standards organization which advocates for safe and respectful technology, today announced the publication of its first official recommendation: “The Attributes for Safe and Respectful Me2B Commitments.” The recommendation outlines baseline best practices to ensure that safe interactions, or commitments, are taking place on websites and mobile applications. Some examples of these commitments include creating an account online, signing up for newsletters, or agreeing to accept cookies while browsing a website.
We’re delighted to announce that the Me2B Alliance has published its first official recommendation: “The Attributes for Safe and Respectful Me2B Commitments”.
This is a significant milestone for the organization that was the fruit of the entire community.
What does this mean?
What an official recommendation (or specification) means is that, similar to virtually all standards developing organizations, the document has gone through multiple approval stages.
Me2B Alliance’s Executive Director Lisa LeVasseur and Board member Cam Geer presented “Measuring the Ethical Behavior of Technology” at the 2021 RSA Conference. In this session they shared an overview of the Me2B Alliance’s ethical “yardstick” for measuring technology, and the most current learnings from its application to websites and mobile apps. If you’re new to the Me2B Alliance, this presentation is an excellent overview of our Respectful Tech Specification and preliminary testing results.
The Me2B Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit creating a safe and just digital world through standards development and independent technology testing. We are a new type of Standards Developing Organization (SDO) – involving everyday people in creating the standard for safe and respectful technology. We also perform independent testing and audits of connected technology, like websites and mobile apps.
On May 6, 2021, two days after the Me2B Alliance published our report on data sharing in school utility apps, Google issued a “pre-announcement” describing major improvements to app labeling in the Android app store.
The announcement signals a serious intention to not only catch up to Apple’s privacy label, but surpass it, by introducing independent validation of the Android app privacy information.
Me2BA Executive Director Lisa LeVasseur was recently featured on the Masters of Privacy podcast, as part of a series of conversations with thought leaders working at the intersection of marketing, data, privacy, and technology.
60% of School Apps are Sending Student Data to Potentially High-risk Third Parties Without Knowledge or Consent According to New Research from Me2B Alliance
Research uncovers disturbing findings around privacy concerns with the use of school applications
Chalk up a win for the good guys on data privacy. And California residents are the ultimate winners.