Education
Education

Technology and privacy clash in schools

By Ty Tagami
Feb 22, 2016

ExploreMore at the AJC Get Schooled blog

Back story: Students' data at center of privacy concerns

Parents who let their children use apps or online tools at school could be giving tech companies all they need to assemble “psychological profiles” on them, said one Georgia lawmaker.

Sen. William T. Ligon, Jr., R-Brunswick, has legislation that would force schools to declare the use of tech tools in school and let parents opt out. “This is a tremendous amount of information on a child,” he said.

Senate Bil 281 got a hearing in the Senate Education and Youth committee Monday, where it remained without a vote after concerns expressed by members. One big worry: putting more work on teachers, who would be required to create alternative paper-based educational plans for students who swear off screens.

“Teachers would really want to pull their hair out if they get one more mandate,” said committee member JaNice VanNess, R-Conyers.

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

Follow Ty Tagami on facebookFollow Ty Tagami on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

DeKalb students raise fears about ICE raids; teachers told not to talk about it

The Sequoyah Middle School community asked DeKalb school officials to better support students who fear ICE.

OPINION

AI is essential to helping our teachers plan for success

For educators, the question is no longer whether AI will influence schools, but how we leverage it to strengthen teaching, learning, leading and operations.

Druid Hills High modernization plan gets green light after years of debate

The estimated cost for the long-awaited project is up to $185 million.

The Latest

Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

DeKalb students raise fears about ICE raids; teachers told not to talk about it

OPINION

AI is essential to helping our teachers plan for success

Druid Hills High modernization plan gets green light after years of debate

Featured

Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

DeKalb students raise fears about ICE raids; teachers told not to talk about it

The Sequoyah Middle School community asked DeKalb school officials to better support students who fear ICE.

Two-day effort helps free endangered right whale off Georgia coast

Georgia state officials helped disentangle a North American right whale, one of the most endangered whales on the planet.

Report: Election board member violated conduct code by going to Trump rally

A Georgia Inspector General's report found State Election Board Vice Chair Janice Johnston violated the board's code of conduct by attending a Donald Trump campaign rally.