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Mississippi

Mississippi Student Data Privacy

Requires Signed Agreement
Does not require signed agreement

Mississippi districts can use COPPA and FTC school guidance as a baseline for tools used by children under 13.

Mississippi Student Data Privacy and COPPA Compliance Guide

Primary Law
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and FTC COPPA Rule guidance for schools

Citation
15 U.S.C. 6501-6506; 16 CFR Part 312

Official Text
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions#N.%20COPPA%20AND%20SCHOOLS
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-312

Overview

When a state does not have a single, comprehensive K-12 student data privacy statute, districts still need a clear and defensible approach to protecting student information. In Mississippi, a practical baseline for many edtech tools is compliance with federal COPPA requirements and the Federal Trade Commission's school-focused guidance on how COPPA works in classroom settings.

COPPA applies to online services directed to children under 13, and to some services that have actual knowledge they are collecting personal information from children under 13. For school use, the FTC explains how schools can act as the parent's agent for consent in certain situations and what responsibilities remain for schools and vendors.

Applicability and Scope

COPPA is most relevant when:

  • Students under 13 use online services or apps in classroom or school-sponsored contexts
  • A vendor collects personal information from a child (for example, name, email, persistent identifiers, or other data covered by the COPPA Rule)
  • A district is approving or enabling tools that create student accounts, collect usage data, or support personalized learning

District teams should treat COPPA as a baseline privacy requirement for elementary use cases, and align procurement and classroom approval processes accordingly.

FTC COPPA Guidance for Schools: Key Expectations

The FTC's COPPA FAQs for schools emphasize that districts should understand what information a tool collects and how that information is used. The guidance highlights the importance of transparency, limited data collection, and making sure vendors use student data only for the educational purpose authorized by the school.

Districts are typically best positioned when they can document:

  • What personal information the tool collects from children under 13
  • Whether the tool uses persistent identifiers and for what purpose
  • How the vendor limits use and disclosure of student information
  • What controls exist for retention and deletion when use ends

School Consent and Notice Considerations

For many school-authorized educational uses, the FTC recognizes that schools may be able to provide COPPA consent on behalf of parents. This is not a blanket permission. Districts should ensure that:

  • The tool is used only for a school-authorized educational purpose
  • Parents are provided appropriate notice where required or where district policy expects it
  • Data collection is limited to what is needed for the educational activity
  • The vendor does not use student information for unrelated commercial purposes

Districts should apply extra scrutiny to tools that combine classroom functionality with advertising, consumer features, or broad data sharing models.

Vendor Review and Operational Best Practices

To apply COPPA in a scalable way across many tools, Mississippi districts commonly benefit from a repeatable review checklist.

District reviews commonly document:

  • What categories of student information are collected, including identifiers and account attributes
  • Whether the vendor uses data for product improvement and how that use is limited
  • Whether subcontractors or third parties receive data and under what controls
  • Security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information
  • Retention, deletion, and account removal processes

How Can EdPrivacy Help Mississippi Schools

When a state's baseline is federal COPPA and FTC school guidance, districts need a repeatable way to track what tools are used with students under 13, what information is collected, and what conditions apply. EdPrivacy helps Mississippi schools centralize that work so approvals are consistent and easy to revisit.

The platform helps districts:

  • Maintain a searchable inventory of classroom tools and district-wide systems
  • Capture vendor privacy documentation and summarize child-focused data collection practices
  • Record approval rationale tied to COPPA-relevant considerations (collection, use, disclosure, retention)
  • Monitor vendor policy changes so reviews can be refreshed when risk changes

Summary

Mississippi districts can strengthen student privacy by using COPPA and FTC school guidance as a consistent baseline for tools used by students under 13. Districts should be prepared to:

  • Identify tools used by children under 13 and evaluate what personal information is collected
  • Ensure school-authorized use is limited to educational purposes
  • Document vendor use, disclosure, security, and retention practices
  • Maintain a repeatable review process that can scale across many apps and services

This approach supports defensible, student-centered privacy governance even when state-level student data privacy requirements are limited.