A growing concern for parents regarding their children and the ease of access to technology is the protection of individual privacy. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires school districts to "
develop an Internet safety plan addressing the unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors" (From EducationWorld.com, 2002). There are several issues schools and school districts must consider when dealing with personally identifying student information online. In her article, Ensuring Student Privacy on the Internet, renown school technology researcher and author Nancy Willard lists some of the more important issues toward CIPA compliance. They are:
- Access to Student Records: FERPA and state privacy laws must be considered when dealing with data management systems and warehouses.
- Disclosure of Student Information on School Web Sites: Standards must be set to ensure student privacy and meet parent approval.
- Disclosure of Confidential Student Information in Student Email: Students can violate the rights of their peers by sharing information via email. Educating students about this violation is a key piece to creating good digital citizens.
- Student Self-Disclosure of Personal Information: Again, educating our students on personal privacy is imperative.
- Third Party Web Sites and Market Research: It is vital for schools to know which companies serve legitimate educational purposes and which are simply attempting to gain information. Again, knowledge is key in this endeavor.
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