On Tuesday, privacy advocacy group NOYB lodged two complaints against Microsoft (MSFT.O) with the Austrian privacy watchdog, targeting the tech giant’s online education software. These complaints mark the latest in a series of grievances directed at the U.S. company.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, online educational programs witnessed a surge in popularity as schools transitioned to remote teaching and students embraced digital learning.
NOYB, short for “None of Your Business,” raised concerns specifically about Microsoft’s 365 Education suite, which includes software programs like Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, and Outlook, designed for student use.
In the first complaint, NOYB alleged that Microsoft is shifting its responsibility as a data controller, as required by EU privacy rules under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), onto schools. This arrangement, according to NOYB lawyer Maartje de Graaf, places an unrealistic burden on schools to manage and oversee the processing of students’ personal data.
“This is nothing more than an attempt to distance Microsoft from the responsibility for children’s data,” de Graaf stated.
The second complaint centers on the use of cookies within Microsoft’s 365 Education platform. NOYB expressed concerns about the tracking of users, regardless of their age, through these cookies. Felix Mikolasch, another NOYB lawyer, highlighted the potential impact on hundreds of thousands of pupils and students across the EU and EEA.
“Our analysis of the data flows is very worrying,” said Mikolasch. “Microsoft 365 Education appears to track users regardless of their age. This practice is likely to affect hundreds of thousands of pupils and students in the EU and EEA.”
NOYB has urged the Austrian Data Protection Authority to investigate the complaints and impose fines on Microsoft if necessary.
