EdTech is Failing our Kids (with Andy Liddell)

When Chromebooks hit the market in 2010, they were a flop. Desperate to avoid significant losses, a savvy group of Google executives struck a deal with educators to provide Chromebooks to schools. “To help children build 21st century skills,” they said. Instead, we’re uncovering a growing number of harms and real-life tragedies caused by school devices.  The problem? A Chromebook is essentially just a ‘browser in a box,’ giving kids unlimited – and often unsupervised - internet access. Meanwhile, the data collection behind these devices is unclear, with schools in charge of ‘opting in’ for our children. But does your school understand how this data is used? Do youAndy Liddell of EdTech Law Center joins Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death to discuss the risks of school-issued devices and share ways parents can protect their kids from exploitative tech.Resources mentioned in the episode: Tech-safe Learning Coalition (TLC) - Resources for parents related to school-issued tech[Book] The Age of Surveillance Capitalism[Book] Means of Control[Book] Weapons of Math DestructionAbout Andy Liddell:Andy Liddell is a career federal courts litigator and technology attorney. Before joining the EdTech Law Center in early 2025, he spent 15 years helping clients resolve complex, multimillion-dollar disputes involving patents, trademarks, and trade secrets.Andy is also a dedicated advocate for youth digital civil rights. As a longtime member of the Children’s Screentime Action Network, Andy has testified before state and federal legislators in support of bills designed to better protect children online. He has also worked to persuade regulators to more vigorously enforce the laws currently on the books to protect kids and families. As part of his legal practice, Andy has provided pro bono legal services to Fairplay, a nonprofit, independent voice for children, as well as to Frances Haugen, who exposed Facebook’s practices of putting profits over the lives of young people.He is proud to join Julie, his wife and law partner, in the fight for the rights and wellbeing of students, parents, teachers, and school districts against exploitative technology companies. Andy strives to create a world where technology helps people flourish, using litigation to align corporate incentives with the things people need to thrive.