Parents Challenge IXL Learning’s Data Practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken a stand in a lawsuit involving a group of parents and IXL Learning, Inc., a company that provides educational services online. The parents claim that IXL Learning improperly collected and profited from their children’s data while using the website and software in schools.

The lawsuit, named Shanahan, et al. v. IXL Learning, Inc., points out that IXL allegedly broke various laws, including the Federal Wiretap Act and some California legal rules. The parents are pushing back against IXL Learning’s claims that they should be required to settle disputes through arbitration, having agreed to the company’s full terms of service.

IXL Learning argues that schools acted on behalf of parents when they signed up for IXL’s services, meaning that parents should follow the same rules outlined in those terms. However, the FTC’s brief in court argues otherwise, saying that parents and children shouldn’t be bound to every single part of the agreement between a company like IXL and the schools.

In a move meant to further protect kids’ privacy, the FTC already proposed new rules to limit how companies can monetize children’s data. This includes turning off targeted advertising by default and enhancing data security measures.

The FTC filed their brief in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, saying it’s important to uphold parental rights in these situations. The Commission’s decision to support the parents was unanimous, with all five members voting in favor.