Martwick fights to ensure student’s data privacy

CHICAGO – Illinois student’s personal information will be protected under a new law championed by State Senator Rob Martwick.

Martwick (D-Chicago) sponsored House Bill 3606, which bans schools from commercially selling the meta-data of K-12 students who use school computers, and provides parents with some control over how the data may be used.

“This new law will ensure our children’s privacy is protected from corporations trying to make a profit off of students,” Martwick said. “It is crucial that as a state we aim to ensure our children’s data is safe, especially at school. There is no reason to use student’s data, other than tracking academic outcomes and ensuring they have the best possible academic opportunities.”

House Bill 3606 is an initiative of Raise Your Hand Action. The law is supported by the Illinois Federation of Teachers, ACLU of Illinois, Chicago Teachers Union and many others.

Raise Your Hand Action has criticized the former legal framework for being too beholden to the tech industry, without input from families and parents. There were inadequate protections of student data, loopholes for commercial use of student data and minimal transparency measures.

Martwick said the misuse of student data isn’t just a violation of privacy, but can even compromise student safety and future career opportunities.

House Bill 3606 was sponsored by Martwick while he was a state representative in the 19th House District.

“I pledge to continue to fight to protect and advocate for the students of our district,” Martwick said. “We need to work toward ensuring children across our communities have the opportunity to be successful.”