Privacy Evaluation for Akindi
37%
Overview
Akindi is a mobile app that allows users to quickly grade assessments with their mobile camera and get immediate results, insights, and analysis. Akindi offers different levels of the service, ranging from free to fee-based that integrates with learning management systems. When using Akindi, teachers upload information about students. Akindi's FAQs describe using school-assigned student IDs, along with student names, to connect grades with students. Akindi's terms state that Akindi will "take appropriate physical, technical, and organizational measures to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, and destruction." Lastly, Akindi's terms do not mention FERPA, school official status under FERPA, or parental consent.
Akindi can be accessed through its website, and is available for download at the iOS App Store. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use accessed for this evaluation can be found on Akindi’s website and iOS App Store. This evaluation only considers policies that have been made publicly available prior to an individual using the application or service.
Safety
The terms of Akindi state it is a grading program, with most activity in the service coming from teachers. The terms of service prohibit offensive or abusive behavior, but do not provide details about if, how, or where this behavior could occur within the system.
Privacy
When using Akindi, teachers upload information about students. Akindi's FAQ describes using school-assigned student IDs, along with student names, to connect grades with students. Akindi's terms do not contain details about any third parties used to support the service. The terms also do not contain details about how data will be handled in case of a sale, merger, or bankruptcy.
The terms also state that Akindi will keep "personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes for which we collected it, or as permitted by law." It is unclear from the terms if or how Akindi tracks various laws and requirements about data deletion, and how these requirements would be applied.
Security
Akindi's terms state that Akindi will "take appropriate physical, technical, and organizational measures to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, and destruction." However, the terms do not contain any details on whether data is encrypted at rest or in transit. In addition, the terms do not contain details about how users will be notified in case of a data breach.
Compliance
Akindi's terms do not mention FERPA, school official status under FERPA, or parental consent. The terms specify that Akindi will "provide ways for you to access your personal information, as required by law, so you can correct inaccuracies" but it is not clear how this would happen, and if this right to review extends to students or parents that have educational information stored in Akindi. If, as suggested in Akindi's FAQ at https://akindi.com/pages/faq, a teacher is using a school assigned student ID number to track students, the teacher should verify that school IDs have been designated as directory information under FERPA.
Rating
- Unclear whether data are sold or rented to third parties.
- Unclear whether data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
- Unclear whether this product displays behavioral or targeted advertising.
- Unclear whether this product allows data collection by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Unclear whether this product uses data to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
Data Collection
SCORE: 15%
What data does it collect?
- Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected.
- Unclear if the categories of personally identifiable information collected are indicated.
- Collection or use of data is limited to product requirements.
- Unclear whether this product collects geolocation data.
- Unclear whether this product collects biometric or health data.
- Unclear whether this product collects behavioral data.
- Unclear whether this product collects sensitive data.
- Unclear whether this product collects non-personally identifiable information.
- 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: 20%
What data does it share?
- Collected information is shared with third parties.
- Unclear whether the categories of information shared with third parties are indicated.
- Unclear whether the purpose for sharing a user's personal information with third parties is indicated.
- Use of information is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
- Unclear whether data are shared for analytics.
- Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Unclear whether data are shared with third-party service providers.
- Unclear whether the roles of third-party service providers are indicated.
- Unclear whether this product supports social or federated login.
- Unclear whether contractual limits are placed on third-party data use.
Data Security
SCORE: 25%
How does it secure data?
- 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.
- Unclear whether this product provides notice in the event of a data breach.
Data Rights
SCORE: 65%
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.
- A data-retention policy is available.
- 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?
- Unclear whether data are sold or rented to third parties.
- Users can opt out from the disclosure or sale of their data to a third party.
- Unclear whether 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: 0%
How safe is this product?
- Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users and/or students.
- Unclear whether users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
- Unclear whether profile information is shared for social interactions.
- Unclear whether this product displays personal information publicly.
- Unclear whether this product allows users to control how their data are displayed.
- Unclear whether user-created content is reviewed, screened, or monitored by the vendor.
- Unclear whether user-created content is 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.
- Unclear whether users can report abuse or cyberbullying.
Ads & Tracking
SCORE: 10%
Are there advertisements or tracking?
- Unclear whether data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
- Traditional or contextual advertisements are displayed.
- Unclear whether this product displays behavioral or targeted advertising.
- Unclear whether this product allows data collection by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Unclear whether this product uses data to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
- The vendor can send marketing messages.
- Unclear whether this vendor provides promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to opt-out of traditional, contextual, or behavioral advertising.
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to opt out or unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Parental Consent
SCORE: 30%
Can I provide parental consent?
- Not intended for children under 13.
- Not intended for parents or guardians.
- Unclear whether vendor has 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.
- Parental consent is required.
- 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.
- Unclear whether this product deletes children's personal information if collected without parental consent.
- Unclear whether this product provides parental consent notice and method for submission.
School Purpose
SCORE: 35%
Is the product intended for school?
- Not intended for students.
- Personal information or education records are collected from preK-12 students.
- Intended for teachers.
- 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.