Microsoft under fire over EU privacy complaints on schools’ use of software
A group submitted a legal complaint stating that Microsoft’s education software, widely used in schools across Europe, is likely tracking hundreds of thousands of pupils.
On Tuesday, the Austrian data protection authority (DPA) confirmed receiving two complaints from Noyb, a nonprofit privacy rights organisation, against Microsoft’s cloud-based educational software suite, Microsoft 365 Education.
The initial complaint said that data processing is not transparent. Noyb remarked that Microsoft’s contracts with schools attempt to lay the burden of GDPR compliance on them.
The second complaint was about how Microsoft 365 Education software uses tracking cookies. According to reports, these cookies track user behaviour and collect browsing data, maybe for marketing purposes.
According to Noyb, these tracking methods occur without the users’ knowledge or agreement, and there appears to be no legal basis for them under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Noyb voiced concern that children’s data is being processed illegally and chastised the internet company for offering “consistently vague” information on how children’s data is used.
“Microsoft provides such vague information that even a qualified lawyer can’t fully understand how the company processes personal data in Microsoft 365 Education.
It is almost impossible for children or their parents to uncover the extent of Microsoft’s data collection,” said Maartje de Graaf, data protection lawyer at noyb, in a statement.
According to Felix Mikolasch, another NOYB data protection counsel, the project records users regardless of age. “This practice is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of pupils and students in the EU and EEA. Authorities should finally step up and effectively enforce minors’ rights,” he said.
According to a Microsoft official, the programme “complies with GDPR and other applicable privacy laws” and the corporation completely protects the privacy of its younger clients.
“We are happy to answer any questions data protection agencies might have about today’s announcement,” the spokesperson said.
Microsoft and Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), an Amazon supported cloud advocacy group, are nearing an agreement to drop an antitrust lawsuit that was submitted to the European Commission.
