ACT public schools have removed a number of e-learning apps after a human rights report revealed they were tracking student data and offering it to third parties.
The investigation by Human Rights Watch looked into 164 applications used during COVID lockdowns across 49 countries.
Nine of the apps were used in ACT public schools: Google Meet, YouTube, Seesaw, Education Perfect, EdPuzzle, Khan Academy, Padlet, Adobe, and MS Minecraft for Education: Science
A spokesperson for the Education Directorate said the directorate was aware of the report and took the findings seriously.
They said the directorate had removed applications named in the report from its Home Learning website until a review could be completed.
"[We are] committed to ensuring the security and privacy of student information. We are taking the report's findings seriously and have commenced an immediate review of e-learning apps used by ACT public schools," the spokesperson said.
Most of the applications used in Canberra requested access to student locations, contacts and, in some cases, keystrokes, even though there are privacy obligations against this. This data was then sold to upwards of 200 advertising technology companies.
Australian Privacy Foundation chair David Vaile was deeply critical of the government's handling of students' privacy.
"They should have done their due diligence ... the contracts companies like Google use are very little on substance and don't actually tell you what data they are collecting or how it's going to be used," he said.
"You wouldn't sign a mortgage or even a car loan without actually knowing the specific details of the contract, but for some reason we don't take the same amount of care with our personal data."
When asked what parents can do about protecting the privacy of their kids, Mr Vaile said they needed to advocate for themselves and their children.
"There should be a recognition that as a parent you have the right to know what a school is doing with your child's data," he said.
"Parents should feel empowered to ask the school or directorate, 'Do you actually know what these apps are doing with my child's data'?"
The Human Rights Watch's investigation will not make the data behind its report publicly available until June 8.
In most instances, schools and students did not have a choice but to use these programs, or risk falling behind the curriculum.
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