The organization said it audited a random sample of 73 apps from 38 different schools in 14 states across the United States, and covered over half a million people, including students, their families, and educators. The audit methodology mainly involved examining data flow from the apps to external third-parties.
Me2B Alliance added that “there is an unacceptable amount of student data shared with third parties — particularly advertisers and analytics platforms — in school apps,” and stressed that school apps should not be including third-party data channels.
“The findings from our research show the pervasiveness of data sharing with high-risk entities and the amount of people whose data could be compromised due to schools’ lack of resources,” said Lisa LeVasseur, executive director of Me2B Alliance.
“The study aims to bring these concerns to light to ensure the right funding support and protections are in place to safeguard our most vulnerable citizens — our children,” LeVasseur added.
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