Blumenthal, Daines Introduce Bill to Protect Students' Data

Press Release

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Steve Daines (R-MT) today introduced legislation to ensure proper safeguards are in place to protect students' data.

The Safeguarding American Families from Exposure by Keeping Information and Data Secure (SAFE KIDS) Act protects student privacy by establishing clear parameters for third-party operators when using data collected from students. The legislation empowers parents to control access to their children's information.

The current federal protections for student data, including the tools currently available to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), are woefully inadequate. The SAFE KIDS Act empowers the FTC to oversee and enforce collection, storage and usage of covered information.

"The perils of privacy invasion and data abuse must be stopped at the classroom door with laws that match advancing technology," Blumenthal stated. "As classrooms increasingly rely on technology like apps and cloud services to bolster learning, the advances unfortunately pose an urgent, pressing concern -- student data can be peddled for revenue. The SAFE KIDS Act will establish strong, vital protections for a child's personal, private data -- safeguarding students' information and empowering parents to prevent abuse."

"As the father of four children, I know firsthand the importance of ensuring that as technology continues to rapidly evolve our kids' security and privacy are protected," Daines stated. "Securing students' digital information is critical to ensuring that our kids' privacy is protected. By placing power back in hands of students, parents and schools we can make progress towards protecting the privacy of our children."

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