Do I really have to use that technology in school?

The GDPR is a law which sets out your data protection rights. From the age of 13, one of your rights is to ‘object’ to digital data processing. If you don’t want an app, social media, or a website to collect data about you, you normally don’t have to agree – and you definitely don’t if it’s for advertising or marketing purposes.

This applies to digital technology in school. If you’re worried about any technology use in school, then it’s okay to question that. Your school is likely to have a legitimate interest in collecting data about you (to help your learning progress, for example). But some third-party technologies may pose a clear privacy risk.

Ask your teacher if there is an alternative, or if necessary, write to your school with a more formal objection which expresses your concerns.

Dr Caroline Stockman is a Senior Lecturer in Education Studies at the University of Winchester. She combines her previous experience in the industry of educational technology with cultural, political and philosophical research on technology in education and society.

Dr Emma Nottingham of the Department of Law, University of Winchester, researches the rights of children in subjected media exposure, specifically considering the Gillick litigation in her doctoral study.

Prof Maria Burke of the Department of Digital Futures, University of Winchester, draws on considerable previous experience in information management and digital systems (both present developments as well as with a view on future society), and business ethics.