The College Board, the organization responsible for administering standardized tests such as the SAT and AP exams, has come under fire for selling student data to third-party organizations. The company was recently fined for $29.4 million by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating student privacy laws.
The College Board collects a vast amount of data from students who take its exams, including personal information such as their names, addresses, and test scores. While the organization claims that this data is used for research and analysis purposes, it was discovered that they were sharing this information with commercial entities for profit.
According to the FTC, the College Board sold student data to colleges, universities, and scholarship providers, allowing them to target students for recruitment and marketing purposes. This practice was found to be in violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of student records.
The FTC’s investigation also revealed that the College Board failed to adequately inform students and their parents about the sale of their data and did not provide them with the option to opt out. This lack of transparency and consent is a serious breach of trust and privacy for the millions of students who take College Board exams each year.
In response to the FTC’s findings, the College Board has agreed to pay the $29.4 million fine and implement stricter data privacy policies. They have also pledged to notify students and their parents about the sale of their data and give them the option to opt out in the future.
This incident has raised concerns about the ethical implications of selling student data and the importance of protecting student privacy rights. It serves as a reminder to organizations like the College Board to be more transparent and responsible in handling sensitive information.
In conclusion, the College Board’s fine for selling student data serves as a cautionary tale for other organizations that handle student information. It is imperative that data privacy laws are upheld, and that students’ personal information is safeguarded from exploitation.学校理事会因出售学生数据而被罚款。
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