Microsoft Allegedly Handed Off On Student Data To School, NGO NOYB Submitted Complaints

Microsoft 365 Education for students includes Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, and Outlook. (photo: dock. microsoft)

JAKARTA - Microsoft is accused of transferring responsibility for children's personal data to schools that are not equipped with the ability to handle the problem. This was stated by the NOYB advocacy group in one of the two complaints submitted to the Austrian privacy watchdog.

The complaint against Microsoft's online education software is the latest complaint filed against the US tech giant by competitors and activists.

Online education programs became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic because schools switched to distance teaching and students became online students.

NOYB's (None of Your Business) complaint centers on a series of Microsoft 365 Education software programs for students that include Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

In its first complaint, the advocacy group accused Microsoft of diverting its responsibility as a data controller required to process users' personal data based on EU privacy regulations known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to schools, which do not have the necessary data.

"Under the current system that Microsoft applies to schools, your school must audit Microsoft or give them instructions on how to process student data. Everyone knows that such contractual arrangements don't match reality," lawyer NOYB Maartje de Graaf said in a statement.

"This is nothing more than an attempt to divert responsibility for children's data as far as possible from Microsoft," he said.

Microsoft stated that it would be happy to answer every question from the data protection agency regarding NOYB's complaint.

"M365 for Education complys with GDPR and other privacy laws that apply and we thoroughly protect the privacy of our young users," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Second NOYB complaint focuses on cookies mounted on Microsoft 365 Education. Advertisers use cookies to track consumers.

"Our analysis of the data stream is very worrying. Microsoft 365 Education appears to be tracking users regardless of their age. This practice is likely to affect hundreds of thousands of students and students in the EU and EAE (European Economic Environment)," said NOYB lawyer Felix Mikolasch.

NOYB urged the Austrian Data Protection Authority to investigate its complaints and fine Microsoft.