Video Conferencing for Kids: Safeguarding and Privacy Overview

Never have video conferencing services been as important as they are right now.  No longer are they a novelty but vital for us all to stay connected, whether home, school or work.  

But which one is best?

  1. Catalogue
  2. Resources
  3. Safe Remote Learning
  4. Video Conferencing for Kids: Safeguarding and Privacy Overview

Ever considered how your personal data is protected? How children's data is considered by the platforms? If there are minimum age requirements?

Here you’ll find information about the most popular video conference services.  We’ve collected and compiled some of the technical and policy details published by each of the services so you can more easily see which of these are the most suitable for you using the excellent work of Polisis.

This guide was last updated on 1st April 2020, If you find any information out of date please reach out to us.

Also read our guidance on Safe Remote Learning.

Contents

  1. Safeguarding & Privacy Factsheet Downloads
  2. Microsoft Teams / Skype
  3. Google Meet / Hangout
  4. Webex
  5. GotToMeeting
  6. Adobe Connect
  7. Zoom
  8. BlueJeans

Microsoft Teams / Skype

Part of Office365

£3.80 per month - Office 365 Business Essentials

£9.40 per month - Office 365 Business Premium

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements – for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

Microsoft adheres to the principles of the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield frameworks

https://www.microsoft.com/en-GB/microsoft-365/blog/2018/05/25/safeguard-individual-privacy-rights-under-gdpr-with-the-microsoft-intelligent-cloud/

How children’s data is managed (From Microsoft's Terms & Conditions)

  1. Children and Advertising. We do not deliver interest-based advertising to children whose birthdate in their Microsoft account identifies them as under 16 years of age.
  2. Collection of Data from Children Collection of Data from Children maincollectionofdatafromchildrenmodule
  3. When a Microsoft product collects age, and there is an age in your jurisdiction under which parental consent or authorization is required to use the product, the product will either block users under that age or will ask them to provide consent or authorization from a parent or guardian before they can use it. We will not knowingly ask children under that age to provide more data than is necessary to provide the product.
  4. Once parental consent or authorization is granted, the child's account is treated much like any other account. The child can access communication services, like Outlook and Skype, and can freely communicate and share data with other users of all ages.
  5. Parents can change or revoke the consent choices previously made, and review, edit, or request the deletion of the personal data of children for whom they provided consent or authorization. For example, parents can access their personal Microsoft account (https://go.microsoft.com/FWLink/p/?LinkID=238657) and click on "Permissions." For users of Minecraft and other Mojang games, parents can contact us at account.mojang.com/terms#contact.
  6. Microsoft Family. Parents can use Microsoft Family to understand and set boundaries on how their child is using their device. There are many features available to Family members, so please carefully review the information provided when you create or join a Family. When Family activity reporting is turned on for a child, Microsoft will collect details about how the child uses their device and provide parents with reports of that child's activities. Activity reports are routinely deleted from Microsoft servers after a short period of time.
  7. Children and online safety. If you have children or teenagers who use Xbox Live, you can set up child and teen profiles for them. Children and teens under 18 cannot create a profile on Xbox Live without parental consent. Adults in the family can change consent choices and online safety settings for child and teen profiles on xbox.com.

Links

Terms - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/copyright/default.aspx

Privacy - https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-gb/privacystatement

Google Meet / Hangout

Pricing (per month) - included within G Suite

G Suite for Education - Free

G Suite Enterprise for Education -$48/user/year

*Note - Google have extended their premium features to all G Suite customers until 30th September 2020. This means a larger numbers of participants can connect at the same time (250 vs 100). G Suite Enterprise is available at a promotional price until 31st July 2020, students are free.

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Positive

  • The policy offers you clear links to control your data
  • You can request access and deletion of personal data
  • The policy provides opt-out choices

What to look out for

  • Several types of personal information types can be collected.
  • Personal information may be shared with third parties for marketing/advertising reasons.
  • Some data might be retained indefinitely.

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements – for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

We maintain servers around the world and your information may be processed on servers located outside of the country where you live. Data protection laws vary among countries, with some providing more protection than others. Regardless of where your information is processed, we apply the same protections described in this policy. We also comply with certain legal frameworks relating to the transfer of data, such as the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Frameworks.

we provide the controls described in this policy so you can exercise your right to request access to, update, remove, and restrict the processing of your information. You also have the right to object to the processing of your information or export your information to another service.

GDPR compliance - https://privacy.google.com/businesses/compliance/

How children’s data is managed

No particular reference to management of childrens data.

Links

Terms and Privacy - https://policies.google.com/

Webex

Free personal plan - 40 min limit

£11.25 - small team starter

£14.85 per month - Plus plan

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Positive

  • You can request access and deletion of personal data
  • The policy provides opt-out choices.
  • The policy offers you clear links to control your data
  • Some data is anonymized or aggregated before sharing with third parties.
  • The policy has a special section on respecting children's privacy

What to look out for

  • Several types of personal information types can be collected.
  • They may also collect information about: Your Internet Protocol (IP) address.
  • Personal information may be shared with third parties for marketing/advertising reasons.
  • We may share personal information in the following ways: With Cisco business partners or vendors, so that they may share information with you about their products or services.

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements – for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

  1. As Cisco is a global organization, we may transfer your personal information to Cisco in the United States of America, to any Cisco subsidiary worldwide, or to third parties and business partners as described above that are located in various countries around the world. By using our websites and Solutions or providing any personal information to us, where applicable law permits, you consent to the transfer, processing, and storage of such information outside of your country of residence where data protection standards may be different.
  2. Cisco's global privacy program and policies have been approved by the Dutch, Polish, Spanish, and other relevant European privacy regulators as providing adequate safeguards for the protection of privacy, fundamental rights, and freedoms of individuals for transfers of personal information protected under European law. Cisco's Binding Corporate Rules – Controller (BCR-C) provide that transfers made by Cisco worldwide of European personal information benefit from adequate safeguards.

Minimum age: 13

Policy statements relating to children

You also agree not to:

  • Attempt to collect, store, or publish personally identifiable information ... of a minor under the age of thirteen (13) in any circumstance.

Cisco encourages parents and guardians to take an active role in their children's online activities. Cisco does not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate parental or guardian consent.

Links

Terms - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/legal/terms-conditions.html

Privacy - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/legal/privacy-full.html

GotoMeeting

Free 14 day trial

£9.50 per month - professional plan

£12.67 per month - Business plan

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Positive

  • The policy covers security measures in details.
  • The policy provides opt-out choices.
  • You can request access and deletion of personal data
  • The policy offers you clear links to control your data
  • The policy has a special section on respecting children's privacy

What to look out for

Several types of personal information types can be collected.

  • Customer Account and Registration Data: This includes information you provide to create your account with us or register for events, webinars, surveys, etc. and may include, first and last name, billing information, a password and a valid email address.

Some data might be retained indefinitely.

  • Our customers can always review, update or change personal information from within their account or by contacting us. LogMeIn will also, when you request, provide you with information about the types of information we process about you and whether we hold, or process on behalf of a third party, any of your personal information. You may have the right to a copy of your personal information in machine-readable format. You can also ask about: Whether and why we have your personal information. How we obtained your personal information. What we have done with your personal information. To whom we have communicated your personal information. Where your personal information has been stored, processed or transferred. How long we will retain your personal information or how that retention period will be determined; and. The safeguards in place to protect your information when it is transferred to third parties or third countries.

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements - for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

GDPR-Compliant Customer Data Processing Addendum:
With enforcement of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) beginning 25 May 2018, LogMeIn is pleased to offer a revised, GDPR-compliant Data Processing Addendum (DPA) incorporating: (1) the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (also known as the EU Model Clauses); (2) LogMeIn’s Technical and Organizational Data Security Measures; and (3) a GDPR-specific addendum. This GDPR-compliant DPA ensures that any transfer of personal data outside the European Economic Area in connection with your relationship with LogMeIn will be performed in compliance with the GDPR.

Privacy Shield:
LogMeIn also demonstrates its commitment to maintaining appropriate privacy and security standards around the collection, use, transfer, and retention of personal data from the EU and Switzerland by participating in the EU-U.S. and Swiss Privacy Shield Frameworks. Find out more here.

Minimum Age: 18??

By accepting these Terms, signing an Order, or using the Services, you represent that you are of legal age and have the authority to bind the Customer to the Order, these Terms, and the applicable "Service Descriptions" available at https://www.logmeininc.com/legal/service-descriptions, as well as the Professional Services Terms and Conditions available at https://www.logmeininc.com/legal/professional-services-terms, each as applicable (collectively the “Agreement”).

How children’s data is managed

11. Children’s Privacy

LogMeIn’s webpages are intended for general audiences - we do not seek through this site to gather personal data from or about persons that are sixteen (16) years of age or younger. If you inform us or we otherwise become aware that we have unintentionally received personal information from an individual under the age of sixteen (16), we will delete this information from our records.

Links

Terms - https://www.logmeininc.com/legal/terms-and-conditions

Privacy - https://www.logmeininc.com/legal/privacy

Adobe Connect

Pricing - £40 per month

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Positive

  • The policy provides opt-out choices.
  • The policy offers you clear links to control your data
  • You can request access and deletion of personal data

What to look out for

Personal information may be shared with third parties for marketing/advertising reasons.

Summary of Key Points: There are several places within Adobe's websites and apps that allow you to post comments, upload pictures, or submit content which will be publicly available where you choose to participate in these activities. We also disclose personal information to other companies in the Adobe family and with advertising and sales partners consistent with your choices. We also share information with third parties we engage to process information on our behalf or when such sharing is required by law, or in certain other situations. Learn more (https://www.adobe.com/in/privacy/policy.html#websites-applications).

We will also share your personal information with companies that help us to run our business by processing personal information on behalf of Adobe for the purposes identified above. Such companies include providers of customer support services, payment processing services, fraud monitoring and prevention, email, social media, and other marketing platforms and service providers, and hosting services.

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements – for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

  1. If you reside outside of North America, your relationship is with Adobe Ireland. Adobe Ireland will transfer your personal information to some organizations which are located outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, namely the US and India and other locations where we Adobe may have operations in the future.
  2. Where Adobe Ireland transfers your personal information to a country which is not within the EEA and is not subject to an adequacy decision by the EU Commission, we rely on one or more of the following legal mechanisms: EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield, European Commission approved Standard Contractual Clauses, and your consent in certain circumstances. A copy of the relevant mechanism can be provided for your review upon request, using the contact details provided at the end of this Privacy Policy. For more information about the certification of Adobe U.S. to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, including the scope of our certification, please see Privacy Shield/European data transfers (https://www.adobe.com/in/privacy/eudatatransfers.html).

How children’s data is managed

No particular reference to management of childrens data

Links

Terms - https://www.adobe.com/uk/legal/terms.html

Privacy - https://www.adobe.com/uk/privacy/policy.html

BlueJeans

Pricing (per month (billed monthly))

Standard - £11.12

Pro - £15.57

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Positive

  • The policy provides opt-out choices.
  • The policy offers you clear links to control your data

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements – for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

When we share information about you within BlueJeans and with third parties in countries with local laws which may differ from yours, we make use of standard contractual data protection clauses, which have been approved by the European Commission, and we rely on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework to safeguard the transfer of information we collect from the European Economic Area to the United States. In some cases we may use other appropriate legal mechanisms to safeguard the transfer.

Where your information is transferred outside the EEA, we will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is subject to appropriate safeguards, such as relying on a recognized legal adequacy mechanism, and that it is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Minimum age: 13 / 18

How children’s data is managed

BlueJeans does not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13, and our Services are not intended for use by minors (as defined in your relevant jurisdiction). By using our Services, you confirm to us that you are not under the age of 13 and/or not a minor.

Links

Terms - https://www.bluejeans.com/terms-of-service

Privacy - https://www.bluejeans.com/privacy-policy

Zoom

Free plan - limited to 40 mins

Pro - £11.99 per month

Summary Privacy Policy - powered by Polisis

Positive

  • You can request access and deletion of personal data
  • The policy provides opt-out choices
  • The policy provides opt-in choices

What to look out for

Several types of personal information types can be collected.

  1. Information commonly used to identify you, such as your name, user name, physical address, email address, phone numbers, and other similar identifiers.

  2. Information about your job, such as your title and employer.

  3. Credit/debit card or other payment information.

  4. Facebook profile information (when you use facebook to log-in to our products or to create an account for our products.

  5. General information about your product and service preferences.

  6. Information about your device, network, and internet connection, such as your ip address(es), mac address, other device id (udid), device type, operating system type and version, and client version.

  7. Information about your usage of or other interaction with our products ("usage information").

  8. Other information you upload, provide, or create while using the service ("customer content"), as further detailed in the "customer content" section below.

Be aware of so called “Zoom bombing”.

Read the full summary on Polisis.

Personal data policy statements – for example adherence to GDPR / Privacy Shield

  1. Our Products are generally hosted and operated in the United States ("U.S.") through Zoom and its service providers, though data may be collected from wherever our users are located.We may transfer your Personal Data to the U.S., to any Zoom affiliate worldwide, or to third parties acting on our behalf for the purposes of processing or storage.Where local law requires, we may store data locally in order to comply with global regulations.By using any of our Products or providing any Personal Data for any of the purposes stated above, you consent to the transfer and storage of your Personal Data, whether provided by you or obtained through a third party, to the U.S. as set forth herein, including the hosting of such Personal Data on U.S. servers.

  2. Zoom is responsible for the processing of Personal Data it receives under the Privacy Shield Framework, and subsequently transfers to a third party acting as an agent on its behalf.Zoom complies with the Privacy Shield Principles for all onward transfers of Personal Data from the EU, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom including the onward transfer liability provisions.

Minimum Age

16 (unless Zoom for Education Subscriber)

ELIGIBILITY. You affirm that You are at least 16 years of age and are otherwise fully able and competent to enter into the terms, conditions, obligations, affirmations, representations, and warranties set forth in this Agreement, and to abide by and comply with this Agreement. Your access may be terminated without warning if we believe that You are under the age of 16 or are otherwise ineligible.

INTENDED USE; RESTRICTION ON USE BY CHILDREN. The Services are intended for business use. You may choose to use the Services for other purposes, subject to the terms and limitations of this Agreement. Zoom is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 16, unless it is through a School Subscriber (as that term is defined in Exhibit A) using Zoom for Education (K-12). Individuals under the age of 16 may not create accounts or use the Services except as described herein.

Policy Statements Relating to Children

Although we cannot absolutely control whether minors gain unauthorized access to the Services, access may be terminated without warning if we believe that You are underage or otherwise ineligible

Links

Terms - https://zoom.us/terms

Privacy - https://zoom.us/privacy