Students using a Russian online educational platform had online behavior recorded through session replay tools
HRW found seven Russian educational websites using Yandex session recording: Russian Electronic School, My Achievements, Moscow Electronic School, Sirius, My School is Online, Digital Lessons and SberClass. Yandex describes the tool as recording clicks, scrolls, keystrokes and mouse movements in a single replayable recording. All seven are apparently designed for children’s educational use.
Students using Extramarks application had contacts information and location data shared without disclosure
Extramarks, a privately developed learning app apparently designed for children with an estimated 100,000 installs, was found by HRW to have the ability to collect children’s precise location (GPS, last known location and Wi-Fi network name), contacts and contacts’ photos, call and SMS logs, camera and microphone access, and advertising, Wi-Fi MAC and IMEI identifiers. […]
Students using Edmodo had contact information and communication data accessible to third parties – Thailand
HRW’s analysis of the Edmodo Android app, one of the products endorsed by Thailand’s government for learning during Covid-19 school closures, found it had the ability to collect advertising IDs, contacts and contacts’ photos, phone numbers, call logs, and camera and microphone access. The app is privately developed, apparently designed for children, and had over […]
Russian students using My School is Online had data transmitted to advertising ecosystems
My School is Online, a Russian government educational website, was found by HRW to use Yandex session recording and key logging. Session recording lets a third party watch and record a user’s behavior on a page, and Yandex describes its tool as recording clicks, scrolls, keystrokes and mouse movements. HRW’s table of government-built products lists […]
Russian students using an educational platform were exposed to commercial data collection systems
Digital Lessons, a Russian educational website built and operated by the government, was one of eight websites HRW found using canvas fingerprinting, which assigns a unique number to a user’s device to track activity across the internet and is virtually impossible for users to block. None of the eight disclosed its use. HRW also lists […]
Students using Edmodo had contact information and communication data accessible to third parties – Romania
HRW’s analysis of the Edmodo Android app, one of the products endorsed by Romania’s government for learning during Covid-19 school closures, found it had the ability to collect advertising IDs, contacts and contacts’ photos, phone numbers, call logs, and camera and microphone access. The app is privately developed, apparently designed for children, and had over […]
Students using educational platform had personal data transmitted to Facebook advertising systems
HRW observed ȘcoalaIntuitext sending user data to advertising technology companies through third-party marketing cookies, the Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics’ ‘remarketing audiences’ feature, on pages likely to be accessed by children, including a page titled ‘Children’ that describes the platform as intended for primary school students (preparatory classes to grade IV). HRW found no evidence […]
Romanian educational platform used marketing cookies to target students with advertising
ȘcoalaIntuitext, a Romanian learning platform recommended by Romania’s Education Ministry, says in its privacy policy that it installs 23 marketing cookies to target its students with behavioral advertising across the internet. The cookies excerpted in the report come from Meta, Google (AdSense and DoubleClick), Hotjar and Zendesk. Its operator, Softwin, told HRW the product is […]
Students using EBS Online Classes had keystrokes captured through key logging technologies
HRW listed EBS Online Classes, a South Korean educational website, among 16 websites it found using key logging, which captures what users type into forms, such as names, usernames and passwords, before they press submit. All but one of the 16 are marketed for children’s educational use. EBS told HRW that its EBS Online Class […]
Children using MUSE were tracked before first use of the application
HRW’s forensic testing found that MUSE notified Facebook the moment the app was installed, and sent the child’s advertising ID and device information to Facebook before the child had opened the app for the first time. This happens whether or not the child is logged into Facebook or has an account. HRW also conclusively found […]