San Antonio Schools Partner with Tutoring Service Linked to Chinese Firm
In a move that has sparked concerns among parents and education advocates, the San Antonio Independent School District (San Antonio ISD) has partnered with Tutor.com, a student tutoring service found recently to be associated with a Chinese investment firm, Primavera Capital Group.
Tutor.com’s Services and Ownership
San Antonio ISD advertised its partnership with Tutor.com as a beneficial arrangement that would allow students to have access to 24/7 tutoring services in most K-12 subjects. The services are provided through either voice or text chat, offering accessible educational support to students at all levels.
However, the ownership of Tutor.com is at the center of the concerns. The platform is owned by Primavera Capital Group, a Chinese firm that has links to several global companies, including ByteDance, the parent company of the popular social media platform, TikTok.
National Security Concerns
U.S Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, recently demanded in a letter to the U.S. Department of Defense that the American government should put an end to its association with Tutor.com due to potential national security risks. The Senator highlighted the personal information such as location data, internet protocol addresses, and session content that Tutor.com collects from its users.
“As Chinese national security laws require companies to release confidential business and customer data to the Chinese government, we are potentially exposing our military and their children’s private information to the Chinese Communist Party.” Cotton wrote.
Educational Data Privacy Concerns
The San Antonio ISD’s partnership with Tutor.com was also flagged by Parents Defending Education (PDE), an advocacy group for educational rights. PDE’s president, Nicole Neily, criticizes American school districts for disregarding student data protection.
“Most American families would not be comfortable with a foreign-owned company maintaining data on their children,” Neily stated. “Parents deserve more control over who collects information about their children.”
Tutor.com’s Response
In response to these concerns, Tutor.com affirmed that their data protection measures are backed by a stringent legal commitment to the U.S. government. The company clarified that no student or family information is shared with Primavera or any external entity.
“Primavera does not have—and may not obtain—access to our IT systems,” the company stated in its defense. “We take data protection seriously, and we have active controls in place to safeguard student information.”
Though San Antonio ISD and Primavera Capital Group have yet to provide their comments on this issue, both parties are expected to respond.
Where does the Data go?
So, where does the information collected from students go? This question remains unanswered. As new privacy concerns arise in the digital age, parents and students are left waiting for answers- and assurances- about the safety of their data.