Role Model Fighting for Accountability & Other News
#NEWSLETTER | There is nothing better than meeting a parent doing the work of empowering other families and advocating for transparency… so, excited to share lawyer Julie Liddell's story this week.
The best thing we can do when introducing new technology into our lives, and those of our children, is to scan the ‘ingredients’ just as we would when shopping for food. And, of course, those details should be even further scrutinized when we’re talking about technology in schools.
This is why I’ve been working with two longtime privacy advocates on identifying flaws in a NYC mental health partnership targeting teens. It’s also why I’m excited to introduce the story of a parent attorney who is taking on the edtech companies skirting privacy laws.
Meet Julie Liddell, Founding Attorney, EdTech Law Center
Julie started her edtech practice after a long career fighting for families across a range of issues. Today, she’s giving parents the opportunity to be heard when it comes to data privacy exploitation concerns. She says:
“It’s not “technology” in the abstract that’s harmful; it’s the business model of today’s technology. As long as tech companies enormously profit from taking children’s personal information, they will continue to design products for that purpose at children’s expense.” July Liddell, EdTech Law Center
Read more of Julie’s story here ⤵️
Support from the Government
When the subject of one of Julie’s class action lawsuits tried to contort the spirit of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the FTC decided to weigh in and slap down the edtech company, IXL’s suggestion. The FTC’s move showed that these parents, supported by Julie’s team, are on the right track.
Speaking of the FTC
As promised, I’ve summarized the FTC report outlining the ways in which social media and video streaming platforms track and manipulate consumers online. Considering how enthusiastically many of our kids use these platforms, the details here are important. Read more ⤵️
Why So Much Focus on Privacy?
Unfortunately, the success of AI innovation is largely predicated on the amount of high quality data collected. So, while we are playing around with chatbots and starting to see other automation built into our online platforms and tools, the behind-the-scenes race is to get you to give up more personal information.
The Problem… 😡
Well, first, AI development is, best case, encouraging questionable tactics by trusted companies and, worst case, giving bad actors, working on behalf of criminal organizations, a target. It’s also not necessarily a fair exchange, even when on the up-and-up.
I mean, your data is clearly worth 💰💰 so, are the services you are ‘trading’ your data for worth it?
You Have the Power
The truth is, there is so much we can do: and the list gets longer each month. Start here, and you will be well-positioned for what’s ahead ⤵️
Finally, I’d love to hear from you. Do you feel concerned? Confused? Optimistic? Overwhelmed? I’d love to hear more.