As summer winds down and parents begin getting their students ready to go back to school, the NYS Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is providing targeted scam prevention tips for parents and children ahead of the new school year.
Secretary of State Robert J Rodriguez said, “As more and more schools use technology as a teaching tool, parents should know what information is being obtained from their student and how to protect their children’s identity and privacy. Children should not have to give up their privacy rights just to do their homework. I urge parents to use these tips so students from elementary school to high school stay safe this school year.”
Under New York State’s Education Law, if you are a parent of a child in the New York State schools, you have rights regarding the privacy and security of your child’s personal information and data. NYS law requires each educational agency to publish its Data Privacy and Security Policy to its website. Technology has become a permanent fixture of the education experience. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued a policy statement that put educational technology on notice about children’s privacy. In other words, educational tech companies can’t require parents and schools to agree to the comprehensive surveillance of children for kids to use those learning tools. Thus, parents and guardians need to pay close attention to the technology children use, what information they collect, and how they use it.
Some highlights to know about this law:
•Your child’s personal information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes.
•If your child is under age 18, you have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of your child’s education records.
•If you have questions about student data, please see information available for parents from The New York State Department of Education (https://bit.ly/3pBg8dv).
Other ways to pay close attention to your child’s personal information:
•Protect documents that contain a child’s personal information. Understand where your child’s information is stored. Ask how after-school organizations and sports clubs secure their records: Are digital records connected to the internet and, if so, are they encrypted? Are physical records in locked in filing cabinets? Who has access?
•Be careful when providing identifying information to after-school activities and sports clubs upon registration. If asked for a Social Security number (SSN), inquire why it is needed and insist on using another identifier. Oftentimes organizations include the SSN request as a formality, and it may not be mandatory.
•Only label books, backpacks and lunches with the student’s full name and any other information on the inside. Using initials on the outside is okay, but names, even just first names, on the outside can create an unsafe situation.
•Discuss internet safety tips with children and remind them to be careful about opening attachments and suspicious emails. For tips on how to stay safe online, please see information from a January 2020 Consumer Alert at https://on.ny.gov/3R2HSTY.
•Both parents and students should be careful on all social media platforms: don’t overshare. Any information you post can be seen and utilized by identity thieves. Avoid sharing personal information including full names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, or even where they go to school. Social media posts often reveal sensitive information unintentionally. Cybercriminals look for content that can reveal answers to security questions used to reset passwords, making accounts vulnerable to identity theft.
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