Overview
Science4us provides K-5 science curriculum for schools. The Science4us policy indicates that information is kept among the class or school and is not displayed publicly. The privacy policy notes that personal information is collected, but is aggregated before sharing with third parties. In its policies, Science4 us describes that security is layered, and involves getting a code to access the site. The policies state that the service is in compliance with both COPPA and FERPA.
Science4us can be accessed through its website, and is available for download at the iOS App Store. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use used for this evaluation can be found on Science4us’s website. This evaluation only considers policies that have been made publicly available prior to an individual using the application or service.
Safety
The Science4us policy indicates that information is kept among the class or school and is not displayed publicly. For example, the policy explains that only school district employees and representatives that the district authorizes as school officials are permitted to access the system. However, they note that an authorized district-level employee, such as an Instructional Coordinator or Superintendent, will be able to see all data across the district.
Privacy
The privacy policy notes that personal information is collected, but is aggregated before sharing with third parties. Science4us states very plainly in its policy that they will not use the user's personal data collected through this site for any purpose other than providing them with access to this site and the associated services. They note in their policy that when they acquire assessment or other information, including personally identifiable student data, from a third party source they will treat that information with the same confidentiality and security safeguards as though it were provided directly by the district. They also explain that they do not use personally identifiable student data to market any products or services directly to students or their parents.
Security
In its policies, Science4 us describes that security is layered, and involves getting a code to access the site. They explain in some detail that they will notify users of a data breach, and explain what data was released.
Compliance
The policies state that the service is in compliance with both COPPA and FERPA, and that they will help schools with FERPA compliance in the use of the Science4us product. The users control what student data is entered on this site and retain ownership of the student data at all times, subject to a license to use by Science4us according to its policy. The policy for Science4us explains that upon written request by the district, it will destroy any student data for districts who no longer participate in their program, and they will provide written verification that the data has been destroyed as requested.
Overall Score
Every privacy rating includes an overall score. A higher score (up to 100%) means the product provides more transparent privacy policies with better practices to protect user data. The score is best used is as an indicator of how much additional work a person will need to do to make an informed decision about a product.
| Basic Score | Full Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Assessment | 68 | 50 |
Concerns
The privacy evaluation process summarizes the policies of an application or service into concern categories based on a subset of evaluation questions that can be used to quickly identify particular practices of a vendor’s policies. These concerns are composed of evaluation questions that can be used to calculate scores relative to that concern.
| Concern | Basic Score | Full Score |
|---|---|---|
| Data Collection: Protecting personal information | 75 | 50 |
| Data Sharing: Protecting data from third parties | 63 | 75 |
| Data Security: Protecting against unauthorized access | 67 | 75 |
| Data Rights: Controlling data use | 88 | 70 |
| Data Sold: Preventing sale of data | 75 | 40 |
| Data Safety: Promoting responsible use | 50 | 20 |
| Ads & Tracking: Prohibiting the exploitation of users' decision making process | 50 | 30 |
| Parental Consent: Protecting children’s personal information | 67 | 50 |
| School Purpose: Following student data privacy laws | 100 | 65 |
Statutes
Each statute or regulation is associated with one or more evaluation questions. As such, we can calculate scores for each statute or regulation using only those questions associated with the statute or regulation. Each specific statute or regulation's score serves as an indirect proxy indicating the likelihood of the application or service satisfying all of its compliance obligations.
| Statute | Basic Score | Full Score |
|---|---|---|
| California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) | 75 | 60 |
| Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) | 67 | 58 |
| Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) | 89 | 60 |
| Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA) | 77 | 57 |
| General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) | 79 | 57 |
Privacy Policy Details
1: Transparency
1.1: Policy Version
- Privacy policies do indicate a version or effective date.
- Privacy policies do not indicate a changelog or past policy version is available.
1.2: Policy Notice
- Users are not notified if there are any material changes to the policies.
- Privacy policies do not indicate the method used to notify a user when policies are updated.
1.3: Policy Changes
- Users are not notified prior to any material changes to the policies.
- Changes to the policies are effective immediately and continued use of the product indicates consent.
1.4: Policy Coverage
- Privacy policies indicate the products that are covered by the policies.
1.5: Policy Contact
- Users cannot contact the vendor about any privacy policy questions, complaints, or material changes to the policies.
1.6: Policy Principles
- Privacy policies do indicate any privacy principles, layered notices, or a table of contents.
1.7: Policy Language
- Privacy policies are not available in multiple languages.
1.8: Intended Use
- Intended for children under 13.
- Not intended for teens.
- Intended for adults over 18.
- Not intended for parents or guardians.
- Intended for students.
- Intended for teachers.
2: Focused Collection
2.1: Data Collection
- Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected.
- The categories of collected personally identifiable information are indicated.
- Unclear whether this product collects geolocation data.
- Unclear whether this product collects biometric or health data.
- Behavioral data are collected.
- Unclear whether this product collects sensitive data.
- Non-personally identifiable information is collected.
- Unclear whether free or reduced lunch status is collected.
2.2: Data Source
- Personal information or education records are collected from preK-12 students.
- Personal information from children under 13 years of age is collected online.
2.3: Data Exclusion
- Unclear whether specific types of personal information are not collected.
- Unclear whether specific types of collected information are excluded from the privacy policy.
2.4: Data Limitation
- Collection or use of data is limited to product requirements.
3: Data Sharing
3.1: Data Shared With Third Parties
- Collected information is shared with third parties.
- The categories of information shared with third parties are indicated.
3.2: Data Use by Third Parties
- The purpose for sharing a user's personal information with third parties is indicated.
- Data are shared for analytics.
- Data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Data are not shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
3.3: Data Not Shared With Third Parties
- Specific categories of information are not shared with third parties.
3.4: Data Sold to Third Parties
- Data are not sold or rented to third parties.
3.5: Third-Party Data Acquisition
- Personal information from users is acquired from third parties.
3.6: Third-Party Links
- Links to third-party external websites are not age-appropriate.
3.7: Third-Party Data Access
- Third parties are authorized to access a user's information.
3.8: Third-Party Data Collection
- Personal information of users is not collected by a third party.
3.9: Third-Party Data Misuse
- Unclear whether personal information can be deleted from a third party if found to be misused.
3.10: Third-Party Service Providers
- Data are shared with third-party service providers.
- The roles of third-party service providers are indicated.
3.11: Third-Party Affiliates
- Unclear whether the categories of third parties that receive personal information are indicated.
3.12: Third-Party Policies
- Unclear whether links to privacy policies of third-party companies are available.
3.13: Third-Party Data Combination
- Data can be combined with data from third-party sources.
- Unclear whether data shared with third parties can be combined by third parties for their own purposes.
3.14: Third-Party Authentication
- Unclear whether this product supports social or federated login.
- Unclear whether personal information from social or federated login providers is collected.
- Unclear whether personal Information is shared with social or federated login providers.
3.15: De-identified or Anonymized Data
- User information is shared in an anonymous or deidentified format.
- Unclear whether the vendor describes their deidentification process of user information.
3.16: Third-Party Contractual Obligations
- Contractual limits are not placed on third-party data use.
- Contractual limits do not prohibit third parties from reidentifying deidentified information.
4: Respect for Context
4.1: Data Use
- Use of information is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
- The purpose for which data atr collected is indicated.
4.2: Data Combination
- Combined information is treated as personally identifiable information (PII).
4.3: Data Notice
- Notice is provided if the context in which data are collected changes.
4.4: Data Changes
- Consent is obtained if the practices in which data are collected change.
4.5: Policy Enforcement
- Accounts may be terminated if users engage in any prohibited activities.
5: Individual Control
5.1: User Content
- Users can create or upload content.
5.2: User Consent
- Opt-in consent is not requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
5.3: Remedy Process
- A grievance or remedy mechanism is not available for users to file a complaint.
5.4: Data Settings
- Unclear whether users can control their information through privacy settings.
5.5: Data Disclosure
- Unclear whether users can opt out from the disclosure or sale of their data to a third party.
- Unclear whether users can request to know what personal information has been shared with third parties for commercial purposes.
- Unclear whether notice is provided in the event the vendor receives a government or legal request for a user’s information.
5.6: Intellectual Property
- Users retain ownership of their data.
- A copyright license is claimed to data or content collected from a user.
- Any copyright license to a user's data is limited in scope or duration.
- Unclear whether notice is provided to users when their content is removed or disabled because of an alleged copyright violation.
6: Access and Accuracy
6.1: Data Access
- Processes to access and review user data are available.
- Permissions, roles, or access controls are available to restrict who has access to data.
- Processes to review data are available for the school, parents, or students.
6.2: Data Integrity
- The vendor does maintain the accuracy of data they collect.
6.3: Data Correction
- Processes to modify inaccurate data are available.
- Processes for the school, parents, or students to modify data are available.
- Unclear whether the time period for the vendor to modify inaccurate data is indicated.
6.4: Data Retention
- A data-retention policy is available.
- The retention time period of a user's data can be changed upon a valid inspection request.
6.5: Data Deletion
- Data are deleted when no longer necessary.
- A user's data are deleted upon account cancellation or termination.
- Processes to delete user data are available.
- Processes for the school, parents, or students to delete data are available.
- Unclear whether the time period for the vendor to delete data is indicated.
6.6: Data Portability
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to download their data.
- Unclear whether a user can assign an authorized account manager or legacy contact.
7: Data Transfer
7.1: Data Handling
- User information can be transferred to a third party.
- Notice is provided to users if the vendor assigns its rights or delegates its duties to another company.
- Users are not notified if their information is transferred to a third party.
7.2: Transfer Request
- Unclear whether user information can be deleted prior to its transfer to a third party.
7.3: Onward Contractual Obligations
- Unclear whether third-party transfers are contractually required to use the same privacy practices.
8: Security
8.1: User Identity
- A user's identity is verified with additional personal information.
8.2: User Account
- Account creation is required.
- Parental controls or managed accounts are available.
- Two-factor account protection is available.
8.3: Third-Party Security
- Third-party contractual security protections are required.
8.4: Data Confidentiality
- Industry best practices are used to protect data.
- Employee or physical access to user information is limited.
8.5: Data Transmission
- Unclear whether this product encrypts all data in transit.
8.6: Data Storage
- Unclear whether this product encrypts all data at rest.
- Unclear whether personal information of users is stored with a third party.
8.7: Data Breach
- Notice is provided in the event of a data breach.
8.8: Data Oversight
- Unclear whether this product performs data-privacy and security-compliance audits.
9: Responsible Use
9.1: Social Interactions
- 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.
9.2: Data Visibility
- Personal information is not displayed publicly.
- Unclear whether this product allows users to control how their data are displayed.
9.3: Monitor and Review
- Unclear whether user-created content is reviewed, screened, or monitored by the vendor.
- 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.
9.4: Report Content
- Unclear whether users can filter or block inappropriate content.
- Unclear whether users can report abuse or cyberbullying.
9.5: Internet Safety
- The vendor provides links to tools or processes that support safe and appropriate social interactions.
10: Advertising
10.1: Vendor Communications
- Unclear whether a user can receive service- or administrative-related communications from the vendor.
10.2: Traditional Advertising
- Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
10.3: Behavioral Advertising
- Unclear whether this product displays behavioral or targeted advertising.
10.4: Ad Tracking
- Unclear whether this product allows data collection by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Data are not used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are not created and used for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
10.5: Filtered Advertising
- Unclear whether children may receive inappropriate advertisements.
10.6: Marketing Communications
- Unclear whether this vendor can send marketing messages.
- Unclear whether this vendor provides promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
10.7: Unsubscribe
- 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.
10.8: Do Not Track
- Unclear whether this product responds to Do Not Track or other opt-out mechanisms.
- Unclear whether the vendor provides a method for users to opt-out from third-party tracking.
11: Compliance
11.1: Children Under 13
- Vendor does have actual knowledge that personal information from users under 13 years of age is collected.
- Children's privacy is applicable.
- Account creation is restricted for users under 13 years of age.
- Unclear whether this product restricts in-app purchases for users under 13 years of age.
- Unclear whether the vendor participates in an FTC-approved COPPA safe harbor program.
11.2: Students in K–12
- Product is primarily used by, designed for, and marketed toward students in grades preK–12.
- Product does create education records.
- Unclear whether this product provides notification of a contract or additional rights.
- Vendor is designated as a school official.
11.3: Parental Consent
- 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.
- Unclear whether the vendor can use collected information to support the “internal operations” of the product.
- Unclear whether this product indicates COPPA parental consent exceptions.
- FERPA parental consent exceptions are indicated.
- Unclear whether this product discloses directory information.
- Unclear whether this product transfers parental consent obligations to the school or district.
11.4: Legal Requirements
- The legal jurisdiction that applies to the laws governing any dispute is indicated.
- A user is required to waive the right to a jury trial, or settle any disputes by arbitration.
- Unclear whether a user is required to waive the right to join a class action lawsuit.
- Unclear whether a vendor will disclose personal information to law enforcement.
11.5: Certification
- Unclear whether the vendor has signed a privacy pledge or received a privacy certification.
11.6: International Laws
- Unclear whether a user's data are subject to International data transfer or jurisdiction laws, such as the GDPR.
- Unclear whether the vendor has indicated it is a Data Controller or Data Processor.