It often seems like the perils to our privacy and security online are not just growing, but are outpacing analogous perils to our existence in the real world. I don’t think I’ve come across a term to encompass digital agoraphobia, but it must be an anxiety disorder in its own right.
The reason this option is offered here is that Gartner (2021) has identified the “Privacy-Enhancing Computation” as a top ten technology (below), so perhaps a tipping point is near.
Opportunity Statement:
What would it be like for a learner – or an educator – to feel unburdened and unthreatened by malicious entities in their digital world?
Sources:
Gartner Top Ten Technologies 2021: Privacy-Enhancing Computation
As an educator I believe I have a responsibility to ensure students are safe with the technology used in the classroom. The problem is teachers are unlikely to be an expert in this area. There are many things to consider with privacy and security – information about students, information from students, families, schools, hackers, etc. And what about cyberbullying and copyright issues? Technology plays a valuable role in education and therefore, educators should be aware of where their responsibilities lie when it comes to making decisions about what technologies they bring into the classroom.
Privacy and security will continue to grow as an emerging market in general, but will be integral when applied to the educational field. As we continue high levels of data collection and data use, we have every responsibility to ensure the safety of our user’s data. In instances where our users are minors who cannot legally consent or even understand what they might be consenting to, educators have an increased responsibility to protect their data.
At the beginning of 2023, Philippe Dufresne, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, identified that, “protecting privacy will be critical to our success as a free and democratic society, and a key challenge for Canada’s institutions in the coming years”. Tools that allow educators to feel confident in the safety and privacy of their technology choices will continue to evolve and stay relevant.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada – https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/speeches/2023/sp-d_20230125/