The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) advises against the use of mobile phones or tablets in classes, especially considering that most of them are “smart” devices. Browsing and using these devices in the classroom can involve the collection of personal data that goes far beyond the purely educational. This can seriously affect the rights and freedoms of students, as well as their integral development.
Risks to data protection in school environments
From a data protection point of view, if an educational center asks students to use their personal devices during classes, it may incur legal responsibilities for non-compliance with current regulations. Furthermore, the Agency considers that, if the pedagogical objective can be achieved by other means, the use of mobile phones or electronic devices should be avoided.
Formal procedure by the European Commission against Meta
In this context, it should be remembered that the European Commission has recently initiated formal proceedings against Meta, under the Digital Services Act, for issues related to the protection of minors’ data on Facebook and Instagram. These regulations have as their main objectives the protection of users, the transparency of algorithms and the responsibility of digital platforms.
Digital addictions and vulnerability of minors
The Commission’s concern lies in the personalized algorithms that can stimulate addictive behaviors in minors, and cause the well-known “rabbit hole effects”. Doubts are also expressed about the age verification systems established by Meta, as there are indications that they could encourage problematic use of the platforms.
The elements identified as critical are:
Attractive design and personalized algorithms.
Constant notifications and real-time updates, which generate urgency and dependence.
Gamification: likes, comments and reactions as immediate rewards that activate the brain’s pleasure circuit.
Idealization of reality and use of filters that favor social comparisons and feelings of anxiety.
Other concerns before the European elections
Just before the European elections, on April 30, 2024, the Commission opened another procedure against Meta, concerning Facebook and Instagram, for:
Misleading advertising.
Political content.
Notification and action mechanisms.
Access to data for researchers.
Lack of tools for real-time electoral monitoring and civic discourse.
AI regulation and non-adherence of Meta and Apple
Finally, it should be noted that both Meta and Apple have not voluntarily joined the pilot testing programs for artificial intelligence models, according to the European AI Regulation, despite the implications that this may have on data protection and user security.
