# Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act

This bill changes how schools can handle permission for collecting kids' personal information online. Right now, under existing privacy law, schools are sometimes allowed to get a parent's permission on behalf of the parent—basically, the school can say "yes" to a company collecting your child's data without directly asking you first. This bill stops that practice completely.

The core change is straightforward: schools can no longer act as a middleman between parents and companies that want to collect children's personal information. If an online service or app wants to gather data about your child—whether it's their name, location, browsing habits, or other details—the company must get permission directly from you, the parent. Schools, teachers, and school employees cannot give that permission on your behalf, and they cannot receive notices or information about data collection in your place. You have to be contacted directly.

This affects families with school-age children and any company that collects information from kids through school-related services or platforms. For example, if your child's school uses an educational app or online tool, the company behind that app can't ask the school to approve data collection. They have to reach out to you personally and get your direct consent. The practical impact is that parents should expect to receive more direct communications from companies about how they're using their children's information, rather than having schools handle these permissions quietly in the background. This gives parents more control and visibility over what happens to their kids' personal data online.

Safeguarding Children’s Privacy in Schools Act

Safeguarding Children's Privacy in Schools Act This bill revises the standards for parental consent with respect to the online collection, use, and disclosure of the personal information of a child. First, it revises the definition of verifiable parental consent to require websites and online services to obtain consent by a parent before collecting a child's personal information. Currently, websites and online services must make a reasonable effort to ensure that a parent authorizes the collection, use, and disclosure of such personal information before collecting it. The bill also prohibits elementary and secondary school employees from acting as the agent of a child enrolled in such school for the purpose of providing verifiable parental consent.