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Privacy Evaluation for Akindi

Last updated

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

This product received a Warning rating based on the following details:
  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
Data Collection
SCORE: 25%

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 interactions, behaviors, or usage analytics data.
  • Unclear whether this product collects sensitive data.
  • Unclear whether this product collects any data automatically.
  • Opt-in consent is requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
  • Unclear whether personal information of users is collected by a third party.
Data Sharing
SCORE: 10%

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.
  • Unclear whether the categories of third parties that receive data are indicated.
  • Unclear whether data are shared for analytics.
  • Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
  • Unclear whether third-party services are used to support the product.
  • Unclear what the roles of third-party service providers are.
  • Unclear whether this product supports third-party 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 managed accounts are available.
  • Unclear whether multi-factor account protection is available.
  • Unclear whether third-parties with access to information are required to provide the same security protections as the company.
  • Reasonable security 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 all data are stored in an encrypted format.
  • Unclear whether this product provides notice in the event of a data breach.
Data Rights
SCORE: 55%

What rights do I have to the data?

  • Users can create or upload content.
  • Users retain ownership of their data.
  • Processes to access or review user data are available.
  • Processes to modify data are available for authorized users.
  • A data-retention policy is available.
  • Unclear whether authorzied users can delete data.
  • Unclear whether a user's data are deleted upon account cancellation or termination.
  • Data are deleted when no longer necessary.
  • Unclear whether methods are available to restrict who has access to data.
  • Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to download their data.
Data Sold
SCORE: 10%

Is the data sold?

  • Unclear whether personal information is 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 in the event of a merge, acquisition, or bankruptcy.
  • 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 that is shared is shared in an anonymous or de-identified format.
  • Unclear whether the company describes their de-identification process of user information.
  • Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
  • Unclear whether contractual limits prohibit third parties from reidentifying or de-identified information.
Data Safety
SCORE: 0%

How safe is this product?

  • Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
  • Unclear whether users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
  • Unclear whether profile information must be shared for social interactions.
  • Unclear whether personal information can be displayed publicly.
  • Unclear whether this product allows users to control how their data are displayed to others.
  • Unclear whether user-created content is reviewed, screened, or monitored by the company.
  • 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 personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Traditional or contextual advertisements are displayed.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
  • The company can send marketing messages.
  • Unclear whether this company provides promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
  • Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to opt-out of contextual, or personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether users can opt out or unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Parental Consent
SCORE: 30%

Can I provide parental consent?

  • Not intended for children under 13.
  • Unclear whether this product collects personal information from children under 13 years of age.
  • Not intended for parents or guardians.
  • Unclear whether company has actual knowledge that personal information from users under 13 years of age is collected.
  • The company does not provide a section, heading, or separate policy for children in their policies.
  • Parental consent is required before personal information is collected or disclosed.
  • 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: 44%

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.
  • Processes to enter education records into the product are not described.
  • Unclear whether additional rights or protections may be provided with an additional school contract.
  • Unclear whether the company is designated as a school official.
  • Unclear whether this product transfers parental consent obligations to the school or district.
Individual Control
SCORE: 50%

Can I control the use of my data?

  • Users can control the use of their information through privacy settings.
  • Use of information is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
  • Unclear whether the context or purpose for which data are collected is indicated.
  • Unclear whether company may combine data with additional data from third-party sources.
  • Unclear whether this product treats combined information as personally identifiable information (PII).
  • Notice is provided if the context in which data are collected changes.
  • Consent is obtained if the practices in which data are collected change.
  • Unclear whether a grievance or remedy mechanism is available for users to file a complaint.
  • Users can request to know what personal information has been shared with third parties.
  • Unclear whether notice is provided in the event the company receives a government or legal request for a user's 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.