As more and more institutions embrace online platforms for student learning, advising, management and communication, data privacy becomes an issue of increasing importance. Students expect their schools to respect and commit to ethical, equitable data practices. This includes establishing clear policies regarding what types of personal data can be collected, who has access to it and how the information is used.
Privacy also involves ensuring that students are given the opportunity to opt in or out of data collection for specific purposes, including student research and marketing. In addition, privacy policies should address when it is appropriate to share student data with community partners (e.g., community tutors, classroom “parents” or field trip chaperones), and how the school can ensure that this information is not being used for discriminatory purposes.
A number of countries and organizations have enshrined privacy as a right in their laws, with stringent compliance requirements and substantial fines for non-compliance. Implementing data privacy best practices is now a business necessity, providing benefits such as legal compliance, regulatory credibility and trust with customers.
Many people confuse data privacy with security, but they are kissing cousins. Security focuses on protecting data from malicious attacks and exploiting stolen data for profit, while privacy is about putting in place policies to govern how consumer personal information is collected, shared and used. Organizations that fail to get privacy right run the risk of class action lawsuits, financial ruin and a damaged reputation.