Privacy and the Online Pivot – Inside Higher Ed
Colleges are scrambling to move courses online. But with those changes come concerns over privacy and surveillance.
Most colleges and universities across the country have pivoted to remote learning in an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus sweeping the globe.
While the sudden change is necessary, some privacy experts worry about the unintended consequences.
Ensuring the software colleges are now using doesn’t violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, is one key issue, according to Amelia Vance, director of youth and education privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum. Another issue is the potential for increased surveillance of students as colleges switch from in-person classes to virtual ones.
Data Collection
FERPA is technology neutral, according to Leroy Rooker, a senior fellow at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.