EPIC Urges the Department of Education to Invest in Strong Privacy Safeguards when Funding EdTech through Seedlings to Scale

In comments filed November 13th, EPIC urged the Department of Education to establish safeguards that guide the development and deployment of any AI technologies funded by the Seedlings to Scale program. The Department of Education filed a Request for Information asking for insight to guide its efforts in funding technology intended to improve educational outcomes for all students. EPIC recommends that the Department of Education: only fund AI systems that use limited, curated datasets that are made public for accountability purposes; prohibit the funding of any emotional recognition or facial recognition tools; require strong cybersecurity practices; and require various data minimization practices.

EPIC has filed complaints with the D.C. Attorney General regarding exam proctoring software, worked with coalitions to safeguard children’s data, and discussed the harms to minors stemming from commercial surveillance in its 2022 report on commercial surveillance and data security.