During the pandemic, 49 governments told schools which apps and websites to use for remote learning. In May 2022 Human Rights Watch published what it found when it examined 164 of those products.
89 percent of them put children's rights at risk. Most monitored children, or could, often without the child or the parent knowing. Many sent children's data to advertising technology companies, or gave those companies access to it. In all, 290 companies collected, processed or received children's data through the products. Of the 42 governments that built their own products, 39 mishandled children's data.
What it shows
A child's data trail starts at school, run by companies the family never chose and often never hears of. The school signs the contract. The child's data goes wherever the product sends it.
For your own record
Ask your child's school which education apps and services it uses, and keep the list. It's the starting point for asking each company what it holds, and for asking it to delete what it doesn't need before your child leaves.