Unknown Data Collection In Colleges
What companies are collecting data?
What is student data being used for?
How are these companies collecting data?
Data Collection
College Networking Sites
Video Chat Applications
Study Sites
Google Docs
Google Chat/ Gmail
Google Classroom
Google Chat
WebEx
Zoom
Positive
Negative
Tailor future data/ applications appropriately to students
Improved efficiency
Understand the needs of students
Data misuse
Lack of security
Loss of trust
Ethical Implications
Rule Utilitarianism
Kantianism
Act Utilitarianism
Some sites can actually generate revenue off of selling private information, thus using students that use their sites as a means to an end
Every person has the right to personal and private information and the right to discuss it as they see fit.
If it becomes ok to unknowingly steal and use students personal information then why should any information be private
More regulation needs to stop companies from collecting private information
Unknown collection and distribution of personal and private data also breach this right to privacy
If written consent is not given a person's right to privacy should not be breached.
Private data collection can also lead to trust issues in some college students
People's personal and private information should be valued and consent should be given before data collection is given
Although not technically illegal, in some cases, invasion of a person's privacy does hurt many individuals affected by it
Chegg
Quizlet
Course Hero
Handshake
Jobcase
Microsoft
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Office
Google Workspace
Microsoft Learn
Google Calendar
How Colleges Use Student Data
How Businesses Use Student Data
Targeted Marketing
Companies that create learning algorithms
Chegg/Quizlet/etc. Gather data
Red Bull/ Bed Bath & Beyond Buy data.
Continued enrollment
Admissions and Scholarships
Tracking students
Buying data from data brokers
Asking students
Creating accounts on website
Accepting cookies
Website tracking
App tracking
In today's age, data is incredibly valuable. Because of this, data brokers collect information on people or purchase data from others. Brokers will then mass sell data to other companies
Ever received a notification to accept cookies? By agreeing, the website records an assortment of data from the amount of time spent on the website to things like past search history
Whenever you sign up or create an account on a website, companies will ask for a variety of information
Surveys and/or questionnaires
Companies will often send emails asking for opinions about the company and/or products. Often times you're giving away data by filling them out
Even if you chose not to create an account, if you shop on their website, you're giving away information such as names and addresses
Email tracking
Companies will embed trackers into emails to record analytics such as where/when the email was opened and what links were clicked
Apps will always ask for/record a variety of information without your consent. Things such as location history, audio, and payment history are being stolen
Types of data being collected (Freedman)
Engagment
Behavioral
Personal
Attitudinal
Interactions on websites, apps, emails (links clicked, time spent on website, etc)
Shopping history
Consumer satisfaction
Websites track/collect an abundance of data from IP addresses, browsing history, and how long you stayed on the website
App tracking became such a problem that Apple released a feature that allows a user to disable tracking
Microsoft Education
Microsoft Teams
Google Duo
Google Duo
Data sold or obtained without permission
"All that information can be used to create profiles of you—think of them as virtual, possibly erroneous versions of you—that can be used to target you with ads, classify the riskiness of your lifestyle, or help determine your eligibility for a job." (Menendez)
Credit card numbers
Social security numbers
Product usage
IP adddresses
Purchase criteria
Conclusion
Individual opinions
Overall summary
After thorough research, we believe that uninformed data collection is very unethical. The data can be misused in several ways Not only does it potentially harm the people whose information has been stolen, but it can also ruin the reputation of the company.
Brooke: I believe that it is unethical to collect data without informing the user(s).
Jesse: Unknowingly having your private data collected is extremely unethical. Without your written consent this is a violation of a person's right to some level of privacy.
Anna: Based on our group's research and findings, I do not side in favor of unknown data collection. I believe that it is unethical due to many reasons, the main one being harm and misuse of students' data.
Coy: I believe it's unethical for companies to collect data from uninformed users. Privacy is a human right and people's data privacy should be respected.
Data of students who are struggling academically can be used by the school to create an algorithm that targets those same struggling students and automatically reaches out and offers academic advising services.
This is an example of third-party sites like Chegg and Quizlet using their own data they gather on students to then sell to companies like Red Bull and Bed Bath & Beyond. These companies take that data and specifically advertise to those students.
The scholarship algorithm that colleges use is designed to lower the average amount of money granted in each scholarship so that more individuals with financial needs can be reached.
One algorithm many schools employ is designed to help filter those who are likely to enroll during the admissions process. Once it's determined if someone is likely to enroll their name would be run through the scholarship algorithm.
Companies focus on using student data to produce systems and algorithms that schools can use to increase tuition, student retention, and even create systems to help improve class environments.