Ontario government to step up efforts to protect students’ data

Ontario says it will bring forward legislation to protect students’ data.

The province says it wants to better safeguard children’s information and prevent it from being stolen in cyber incidents.

Public and Business Service Delivery Minister Todd McCarthy says future regulations could include software standards to avoid student data being used by predatory marketing companies.

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McCarthy says studies show the majority of digital programs for very young children collect identifying data and share it with third parties.

The province will consult with social media and tech experts, school boards and parents as it figures out how to best protect students.

The province recently announced cell phones would be banned in schools during instructional time and plans to remove social media from school networks and devices.