Kennisnet app checker
Is your app privacy proof?
You want to use an app or digital application in your lesson. With this test, you can quickly and conveniently check whether you endanger the privacy of your students. To do that, you answer questions about the following three parts:
- Orientation
- Personal data
- Data storage and access
At the end, you can see what you have to do to use the app safely.
To the app checker
Are you the first person in the school who wants to use the app? Or is it already used at your school?
1. Is the app already in use at your school?
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Experience from others can be very valuable in determining whether you can use the app safely. Ask colleagues if they know the app and what experience they have with it.
2. Do colleagues have good experience with the app?
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Personal data are data with which you can identify a person. For example a name, date of birth or photo, but also an e-mail address. That is why it is important to check whether personal data is required to use the app. For example, is it necessary to create an account with an e-mail address or do you have to provide a name?
3. Are personal data required for using the app?
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Some apps contain advertisements. An app that contains advertisements often collects personal data about users and builds profiles based on click behaviour. This may be a privacy risk.
4. Does the app contain advertisements?
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It is possible that the app requests access to the camera, microphone, contacts or file folder of your phone or computer. Investigate to what extent that access is really necessary.
5. Does the app request access to parts of your phone or other devices?
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Can you store assignments, papers, photos, videos, assessments, answers or other data in the app? In this case, it is then important to find out who becomes the owner of that data. And whether you can download the data if you no longer want to use the app.
6. Does the app store papers, assignments or other essential data?
Previous To report
Is the app “ ” privacy proof?
In the overview below, you can see what you need to arrange to be able to use the app in class.
- Parts with a ✅ are in order.
- Parts with an ❌ may conflict with GDPR rules or pose a privacy risk for your students.
- Parts with a ❓ need more research.
Is everything on ✅? Then you have not identified any privacy risks. Print this overview and give it to the ICT specialist at your school who deals with privacy and information security. Then your school will know that you have researched the app and what your findings are.
Are some parts not in order? Then take this overview to the ICT specialist who deals with privacy and information security at your school. Don’t you know who that is? Then go to your Data Protection Officer. Together, you can use this overview to see whether you can get all parts compliant by means of adjustments to, for example, the app’s settings. Or whether it is better to look for an alternative.
Is the app already in use at your school?
Your school is already using the app. Check whether the data protection officer is aware of this and ask if you can safely use this app.
You indicate that colleagues have little to no experience with the app. This does not mean that you cannot use the app, but you must first do more research before implementing it. Furthermore, con-sult your data protection officer.
You indicate that you do not know whether your school has a list of safe apps. Contact the data protection officer and ask for more information.
Do colleagues have good experience with the app?
You have indicated that others have had positive experience with the app. That is a good sign.
You indicate that the app is not well known by colleagues. This may be a reason to reconsider us-ing the app.
You indicate that you do not know whether colleagues have had positive experience with the app. Check with your data protection officer if you can use the app safely.
Are personal data required for using the app?
You indicate that you need personal information to be able to use the app. Your privacy and that of your students may be at risk. Therefore, consult your data protection officer before you use the app.
You indicate that you do not need any personal data for the app. This means that the privacy risk for your students is small.
You indicate that you do not know whether the app requires personal data. You must first figure this out before you know whether you can use the app safely.
Does the app contain advertisements?
You indicate that the app contains ads. Usually this means that user profiles are built up of the click behaviour of you and your students. This means the privacy of your students cannot be guaran-teed.
You indicate that the app contains no ads. This means that no user profiles are built on this basis.
You indicate that you do not know whether the apps contain advertisements. You first have to fig-ure this out before you know whether you can use the app. Apps that contain advertisements usu-ally build user profiles of you and your students. This means the privacy of your students cannot be guaranteed.
Does the app request access to parts of your phone or other devices?
You indicate that the app requires access to your phone or other devices. For example, to have ac-cess to use the camera, microphone or contacts. Investigate carefully whether this access is nec-essary for using the app and whether it can be circumvented. It can mean that the app collects un-necessary data from you or your students. This may compromise the privacy of you or your stu-dents.
You indicate that the app does not request access to your phone or other devices. This means that the app does not collect unnecessary data from the owner of the phone or other devices.
You indicate that you do not know whether the app requires access to your phone or other devices. You first have to figure this out before you know whether you are compliant with the GDPR in using the app. It can mean that the app collects unnecessary data from you or your students. This may compromise the privacy of you or your students.
Does the app store papers, assignments or other essential data?
You indicate that the app saves papers, assignments or other information. Can you download this data? For example, if you stop using the app? And is that possible in a file format that can also be used without the app? Also, find out who will become the owner of the information stored in the app. Is that the company behind the app itself? Then it is not advised to use the app.
You indicate that the app does not store papers, assignments or other information. That means you don’t have to worry about losing information if you stop using the app.
You indicate that you do not know whether the app saves papers, assignments or other infor-mation. You must first figure this out before you know whether you can use the app safely.
