Education Policy, Business and Technology

How California's Student Privacy Law Protects Against Targeted Advertising

THE Journal: In 2014, California signed into law the most comprehensive student-data-privacy legislation in the country. The success of this landmark legislation in California has sparked a national conversation on the importance of protecting our students’ data, and has been the inspiration for similar legislation across the country. When I speak with parents and educators about the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA), they often ask me how the law protects student’s personally identifiable information when collected from apps and services used in K-12 schools.

Most educators in California understand that SOPIPA protects students’ information, but they are not clear on the details. The law protects students from being tracked online, or from being subject to behavioral advertisements based on their personal information or online activity. However, there is often confusion about the different types of advertising, profiling, or tracking that are prohibited under SOPIPA.

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