The US Federal Trade Commission has announced that it is illegal under the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) for companies to deny students access to remote learning platforms if parents or schools refuse consent for student data to be used for marketing and advertising. Companies will also not be allowed to use data collected from a child with a school’s authorization for commercial purposes, and they are obligated to remove data expeditiously when it’s no longer needed.

The company has also been ordered to use personal data of residents that is publicly available on the Internet.