The College Board, the organization responsible for administering the SAT test and Advanced Placement exams, has been found to share student data with Facebook, TikTok, and other companies through its website. When users enter information about their GPA and SAT scores, the College Board’s website sends that data to social media platforms via invisible tracking technology known as pixels. The data shared includes unique user IDs and information about how the College Board’s site is used. The organization claims it does not share personally identifiable information or use SAT scores or GPAs for targeting, but Gizmodo’s tests show otherwise.
The data sharing practices of the College Board raise concerns about student privacy. While this type of data sharing is common on the internet, privacy advocates argue that entities like the College Board should be held to higher standards, especially considering their role in the American education system. The College Board has a history of privacy issues, including selling data about students and violating commitments made to users regarding data sharing. While the organization claims to prioritize transparency and has a privacy policy in place, its actions suggest otherwise.
The College Board wields significant power in the American education system as it administers standardized tests, writes curriculum, and plays a crucial role in the college admissions process. However, it is a non-profit organization that generates profits for its executives. Some of its top executives made more than $300,000 in 2021. The College Board has also run ads on TikTok, raising concerns about whether the platform is using data collected through pixels to target students. This news further highlights the need for greater scrutiny and accountability when it comes to student data privacy.