EdTech Tools Coming Under FTC Scrutiny Over Children’s Privacy

The Federal Trade Commission is planning to scrutinize educational technology in its enforcement of children’s online privacy rules.

The commission is slated to vote at a May 19 meeting on a policy statement related to how the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act applies to edtech tools, according to an agenda issued Thursday.

The law, known as COPPA, gives parents control over what information online platforms can collect about their kids. Parents concerned about data that digital learning tools collect from children have called for stronger oversight of technology increasingly used in schools.

The FTC’s policy statement “makes clear that parents ...