In this episode of Digital Dominoes, host Angeline Corvaglia speaks with Heidi Saas, a privacy and technology lawyer, about the crucial need for protecting children's digital privacy within school environments. They explore why Heidi's turned her focus to becoming an advocate for data privacy in Edtech, discuss the hidden intricacies of Edtech tools, and highlight the importance of the involvement and education of both parents and kids to bring about positive change. The conversation underscores the challenges posed by unregulated data collection in schools, the lack of transparency from tech companies, and potential legal avenues for safeguarding children’s data. They also emphasize the collective efforts needed from parents, schools, and regulators to bring about positive change.

00:00 Introduction to the Edtech Privacy Parents Series

00:34 Meet Heidi Saas: Privacy Advocate and Parent

01:24 The Privacy Concerns in EdTech

02:10 The Hidden Data Flows and Opt-Out Struggles

04:22 Legal Loopholes and Data Monetization

05:26 The Fight for Transparency and Accountability

06:52 Collaborative Efforts for Change

11:35 Engaging Schools and Parents

17:50 Empowering the Next Generation

21:03 Conclusion and Call to Action

We can also recommend these articles that explain the issue of content and data sharing.

• Aimed at teens: What You Should Know About School Technology and Data Sharing - Data Girl and Friends
• Aimed at parents: Tech at School: Protecting Your Child's Privacy - ANGELINE CORVAGLIA

Info on how to request information from schools

• USA: What is a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and how do you make one https://www.foia.gov/how-to.html

In addition, we also recommend these resources:

• Me2B Alliance Product Testing Report on School Mobile Apps Student Data Sharing Behavior: https://internetsafetylabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/school-apps-data-sharing-behavior-spotlight-report-final.pdf
• Edtech Law Center's resources on issues with edtech: https://edtech.law/issues-with-edtech/