Data Privacy in Online Learning Platforms of 2024

In the past, your future development often depended on the quality and availability of local education. Today, anyone who has access to the internet and a budget can access any online course they want. 

A lot of people are using this massive advantage, which makes this industry incredibly fast-growing. 

Now, one of the appeals behind this industry lies in the incredibly personal approach to education, which is only possible with the right user data analysis. Here’s what you need to know about data privacy in online learning. 

What type of data do online learning platforms need and why?

The first thing you need to understand about online learning platforms is that they need as much data as they can possibly get. 

Naturally, they need your name so that they can address you, but they also need your contact data (for obvious reasons). All of this can be collected during the account creation, which doesn’t cause too many compliance problems. 

Then, they need educational data. They need to know which course you’re enrolled in, what your previous scores are (from tests you’ve done earlier), and the entirety of your previous academic progress. 

This part can be used to provide you with a far better learning experience. In a way, the biggest advantage of these online learning platforms is their customizability. You just couldn’t print a different textbook or create a different curriculum for each individual learner, but an online learning platform can do this quite easily. 

One of the most problematic but also most relevant pieces of data for creating insights needed for the optimization of the learning experience is behavioral data. We’re talking about factors like learning habits, study patterns, discussion participation, and platform interaction.

Since these learning platforms operate on some sort of platform, the technical data (like IP address, device information, operating system, and even browser type) might also be relevant. 

Keep in mind that these learning platforms are gathering the data in question for two different reasons. First, they do want to provide their users with the optimal learning experience. At the same time, they need to improve their platform. For this to work, they need to have an adequate user data. 

Cookies are on their way out

One of the biggest changes in recent internet history is the crumbling of third-party cookies. You see, one of the biggest concerns that people have with the modern-day internet is the lack of privacy. Cookies are so good at gathering intel, and analytical tools can analyze this so much that the rumors of smartphone speakers “listening all the time” are stronger than ever. 

Now, to be fair, there’s a huge difference between first-party and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are tools that collect your behavioral data. They’re engaged in the best form of online data use.

For instance, if you were to revisit a site with first-party cookies (from last time), the site will remember which pages and categories you’ve browsed and if you have any items in the shopping cart. In other words, they help both the site owners and the individual users. 

Third-party cookies, on the other hand, gather your data and then sell it to other companies. This way, the companies will know all they need to know about you without ever interacting with you.

Here are two comparisons to help you understand this better:

• First-party cookies are like a person who remembered everything you told them the last time you had an interaction.
• Third-party cookies are someone who spied on you and then talked to other people about you so that they have the information before you even meet them.

Now, this second example doesn’t have to be gossip or a falsehood (third-party cookies gather real intel). It is, however, a massive invasion of your privacy.

Still, this instance of Google cookies going away is postponed once again. This means that these learning platforms still have a chance to readjust their strategy before this change is final.

The international nature of learning platforms makes compliance management complex

Online learning platforms are like any other international business. They have clients from all over the world, and the fact that people from all regions can log in (provided that you haven’t geo-restricted your platform in some regions) means that you have a potentially unlimited number of clients. After all, everyone needs to know about data science, no matter where they live.

The problem with this lies in the fact that different regions have different privacy laws. For instance, in the EU, you have GDPR, while in California, you have CCPA. 

The most important thing you need to keep in mind is that your jurisdiction isn’t determined just by where your firm is registered or where your platform is hosted. As long as you have clients from the EU or US, you might be compliant with these two major regulations. 

This is what makes compliance management such a daunting task and why you have to make sure that you’re compliant in all the regions in which your platform is available.

Now, the best way to approach this issue is to automate your compliance management. 

Still, there are a few principles that you’ll have to abide by, regardless of which of these compliance sets you decide to go with.

For instance, each of these regulations (at least in some form and capacity) insists on:

• Explicit user consent
• Right to access
• Transparency about data collection and sharing practices
• Measures to protect personal information
• Assurance that users can access, delete, and correct their data
• Assurance that individuals can opt out of their consent
• Data minimization (the concept that you’re only taking what you absolutely need)

Overall, since you have no idea what jurisdiction you’ll fall under, it’s vital that you prepare for all of them. 

Biggest data privacy issues in online learning

In order to fully grasp why there’s such an emphasis on cybersecurity, in general, it’s important to address some of the biggest data privacy concerns in online learning platforms. For instance: 

• Unauthorized access: Each of your users has their own profile with their private data and progress marked. If someone else were to guess their password or obtain it through phishing or hacking, they would be able to access their entire history of interaction with your platform. As a brand, you’re in charge of the user data, which means that you have to ensure that the passwords are strong enough (you don’t let them register otherwise) and that there are (at least) 2FA and other authentication methods. You don’t want to make the system vulnerable to the attacks.
• User data mismanagement: Data needs to be handled well every step of the way. The improper storage, failure to update security protocols, and inadequate access control are all your direct responsibility. Also, the data needs to be encrypted every step of the way (in storage, during collection, and in transit). Failure to do so will increase the risk of data leaks or loss.
• Inadequate consent mechanisms: You need to be completely sure that you have the consent of your visitors. In the past, some sites had an implied consent policy, where the consent was implied unless restricted. Today, this is no longer the case. You need to be explicitly given consent and to inform them how they can retract it if they ever change their mind. The last thing you want is to violate a privacy law, as well as undermine your own trustworthiness.

By addressing these three issues alone, you’ll cover so much ground.

Overcoming some significant challenges

Ultimately, this is a field filled with challenges. For instance, while you do want to insist on access security, you want to keep the platform accessible to your learners. 

For instance, asking them to enter a code they’ve received via email or SMS every now and again is a great idea, but asking them to confirm things in five different ways every single time is not. People do care about their privacy, but the truth is (and we know that it’s highly hypocritical) they want you to take this responsibility – not them. 

Finding a balance between accessibility and security is a huge challenge, but it’s absolutely necessary.

Another huge challenge is keeping up with emerging threats. It’s not like these are the problems that you can just solve and be done with it. There are new risks, threats, and problems on a regular basis, and you need a system to stay ahead. 

Lastly, it’s really important that you learn how to be careful about third-party integrations. Sometimes, you’ll have to resort to using these third-party resources, which is necessary but also a huge liability.

Data privacy is an issue your online learning platform has to resolve before it can grow

Even an online educational institution is still a business, which means that they have the same relationship to data privacy regulations as any other enterprise. You have to be patient, strategically plan your approach to data collection, storage, and use, as well as understand all the opportunities and challenges. 

By Srdjan Gombar

Veteran content writer, published author, and amateur boxer. Srdjan has a Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature and is passionate about technology, pop culture, and self-improvement. In his free time, he reads, watches movies, and plays Super Mario Bros. with his son.