The Future of Privacy Forum has published new survey results on parent attitudes toward digital student privacy issues. Harris Poll worked with the group to survey over 1,000 US adults with children ages 0-17 during March and April 2015. Here are some of the findings:

• 87% of parents “worry about student data being hacked or stolen”;
• 68% worry “that an electronic record would be used in the future against their child by a college or an employer”;
• 71% “are comfortable with the creation of electronic education records for their child as long as those records are properly protected”;
• 54% “say they know nothing about existing federal laws regulating the use of student data”; and
• 57% “say the best way to ensure student data privacy is the adoption of new state or federal laws.”

Find more information on the survey here.

In a few weeks, the ACLU of Massachusetts will publish a report on student privacy issues based on public records obtained from 28 school districts throughout the state. Learn more about our concerns related to digital student privacy issues.