Education, Technology Companies Sign Privacy Pledge

A slew of education and technology companies, among them Follett, Knewton and Microsoft, on Tuesday pledged to not sell student data or use it for targeted advertising. Although not aimed specifically at higher education, some of the companies that signed the K-12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy, including Microsoft, said the pledge extends to students in postsecondary education. In a separate press release, Pearson also stressed the company "remains committed to protecting student privacy," while Apple and Google neither signed nor commented on the pledge.