Student Data Privacy as a Civil Rights Issue

Schools collect vast amounts of information from and about students – through cameras, computers, and their social media posts. Many children and parents aren’t aware the data may be shared with private companies, law enforcement and even analyzed to identify and predict student behavior. School districts and surveillance companies say this is a way to prevent suicides and school shootings. But civil rights advocates are increasingly alarmed by the practices. They want to see more protections in place for students and more transparency on how the information is collected, stored and used. They worry that vulnerable children – Black and brown students, children with disabilities, LGBTQ youth and those living in poverty – are disproportionately negatively affected. This EWA Radio episode is a live recording of a panel discussion Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza had with panelists at the 2013 SXSW EDU Conference. They talked about algorithmic bias, surveillance technologies and other technologies that harm students of color, and speakers explained what some communities are doing to fight back. Speakers: Elizabeth Laird, director, Center for Democracy & Technology Clarence Okoh, senior policy counsel, Center for Law and Social Policy  Marika Pfefferkorn, executive director, Midwest Center for School Transformation