Privacy Evaluation for Academic Earth
43%
Overview
Academic Earth describes its service as a collection of free online college courses from the world’s top universities. The terms are unclear whether the service supports interactions between trusted users and/or students, but they do use social media. The terms do state that the service can share a user's personal information with third parties for their business purposes. The terms state that the service may display contextual and targeted advertisements to users and that collected data is used to track and target advertisements to users on other third-party websites or services across the internet. In addition, the terms state the service requires users create an account to securely access additional features of the services, and the terms provide basic information about reasonable security practices the services use to protect personal information.
Academic Earth can be accessed through its website. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use used for this evaluation can be found on Academic Earth’s website. This evaluation only considers policies that have been made publicly available prior to an individual using the application or service.
Safety
The terms are unclear whether the service supports interactions between trusted users and/or students. The terms state users should also be careful if they decide to post personally identifiable information, such as their full name, email address, telephone number or street address because the service does not filter information before it is made publicly visible.
Privacy
The terms state the service may collect personal information, such as name, telephone number, mailing address, and email address, as well any other information for the purpose of providing degrees, programs, and for their other business uses. The terms do state that the service can share a user's personal information with the company's business clients and other third parties. Also, the terms do state that the service may display contextual and targeted advertisements to users and that collected data is used to track and target advertisements to users on other third-party websites or services across the internet. Lastly, the terms note that users agree to receive marketing related communications and promotions to their mobile device phone number.
Security
The terms state the service requires users create an account to securely access additional features of the services, and the terms provide basic information about any reasonable security practices the services uses to protect personal information. In addition, the terms do state that they provide notice to users in the event of a data breach if required by law to do so.
Compliance
The terms provide some information about a student's data privacy rights to access or modify their personal information from the service if the user contacts the company for this service.
Rating
- Data are sold or rented to third parties.
- Data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
- Behavioral or targeted advertising is displayed.
- Data are collected by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Data are used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are created and used for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
Data Collection
SCORE: 35%
What data does it collect?
- Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected.
- The categories of collected personally identifiable information are indicated.
- Unclear whether the collection or use of data is limited to product requirements.
- Geolocation data are collected.
- Unclear whether this product collects biometric or health data.
- Behavioral data are collected.
- Sensitive data are collected.
- Non-personally identifiable information is collected.
- Unclear whether this product treats combined information as personally identifiable information (PII).
- Unclear whether this product collects personal information online from children under 13 years of age.
Data Sharing
SCORE: 70%
What data does it share?
- Collected information is shared with third parties.
- The categories of information shared with third parties are indicated.
- The purpose for sharing a user's personal information with third parties is indicated.
- Use of information is not limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
- Data are shared for analytics.
- Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Data are shared with third-party service providers.
- The roles of third-party service providers are indicated.
- Social or federated login is supported.
- Unclear whether contractual limits are placed on third-party data use.
Data Security
SCORE: 30%
How does it secure data?
- Unclear whether a user's identity is verified with additional personal information.
- Account creation is required.
- Unclear whether parental controls or managed accounts are available.
- Unclear whether two-factor account protection is available.
- Unclear whether third-party contractual security protections are required.
- Industry best practices are used to protect data.
- Unclear whether this product limits employee or physical access to user information.
- Unclear whether this product encrypts all data in transit.
- Unclear whether this product encrypts all data at rest.
- Notice is provided in the event of a data breach.
Data Rights
SCORE: 55%
What rights do I have to the data?
- Opt-in consent is requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
- Users can control their information through privacy settings.
- Users can create or upload content.
- Users retain ownership of their data.
- Processes to access and review user data are available.
- Processes to modify inaccurate data are available.
- Unclear whether the product provides a data-retention policy.
- Unclear whether the school, parents, or students can delete data.
- Unclear whether a user can delete all their data.
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to download their data.
Data Sold
SCORE: 10%
Is the data sold?
- Data are sold or rented to third parties.
- Unclear whether users can opt out from the disclosure or sale of their data to a third party.
- User information can be transferred to a third party.
- Unclear whether users are notified if their information is transferred to a third party.
- Unclear whether user information can be deleted prior to its transfer to a third party.
- Unclear whether third-party transfers are contractually required to use the same privacy practices.
- Unclear whether user information is shared in an anonymous or deidentified format.
- Unclear whether the vendor describes their deidentification process of user information.
- Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Unclear whether contractual limits prohibit third parties from reidentifying deidentified information.
Data Safety
SCORE: 40%
How safe is this product?
- Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users and/or students.
- Users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
- Profile information is shared for social interactions.
- Personal information is displayed publicly.
- Unclear whether this product allows users to control how their data are displayed.
- User-created content is reviewed, screened, or monitored by the vendor.
- User-created content is not filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.
- Unclear whether social interactions between users are moderated.
- Unclear whether social interactions of users are logged.
- Users can report abuse or cyberbullying.
Ads & Tracking
SCORE: 55%
Are there advertisements or tracking?
- Data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
- Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
- Behavioral or targeted advertising is displayed.
- Data are collected by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Data are used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are created and used for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
- The vendor can send marketing messages.
- The vendor does provide promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
- Users can opt out of traditional, contextual, or behavioral advertising.
- Users can opt out or unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Parental Consent
SCORE: 20%
Can I provide parental consent?
- Unclear whether intended for children under 13.
- Unclear whether intended for parents or guardians.
- Vendor does not have actual knowledge that personal information from users under 13 years of age is collected.
- Unclear whether children's privacy is applicable.
- Unclear whether this product indicates COPPA parental consent exceptions.
- Unclear whether this product requires parental consent.
- Unclear whether this product limits parental consent with respect to third parties.
- Unclear whether this product allows parents to withdraw consent for the further collection of their child's information.
- Children's personal information is deleted if collected without parental consent.
- Unclear whether this product provides parental consent notice and method for submission.
School Purpose
SCORE: 0%
Is the product intended for school?
- Unclear whether intended for students.
- Unclear whether personal information or education records are collected from preK-12 students.
- Unclear whether intended for teachers.
- Unclear whether this product is primarily used by, designed for, and marketed toward students in grades preK–12.
- Unclear whether the product creates education records.
- Unclear whether this product provides notification of a contract or additional rights.
- Unclear whether this product designates the vendor as a school official.
- Unclear whether this product transfers parental consent obligations to the school or district.
- Unclear whether the vendor indicates FERPA parental consent exceptions.
- Unclear whether this product discloses directory information.
Common Sense Standard Privacy Report (SPR)
The standard privacy report (SPR) displays all the privacy practices from a product's policies in a single, easy-to-read outline. The report shows a green check mark for better privacy practices and an orange alert for risky or unclear practices. This alert indicates that more time should be focused on these particular details prior to use.
About Privacy Evaluations
The privacy evaluations have been designed with the help and support of a consortium of schools and districts across the United States. These evaluations are designed to help educators make informed decisions about the potential privacy implications of educational technology used to support teaching and learning.
Our core evaluation criteria will always be freely available. People are encouraged to read the questions we use and our information security primer. Vendors are encouraged to use our questions and the information security primer to self-evaluate. You can also learn more about our evaluation process. Please be in touch with any questions or feedback.