Web Privacy Policies in Higher Education: How Are Content and Design Used to Provide Notice (Or a Lack Thereof) to Users?

This paper explores the content themes and provision structures of the website privacy policies of a nonrandom sample of comparable universities across the United States. Because these organizations collect, analyze, and manage personal information via digital media, it is important to evaluate the legal content and usability of their privacy policies. The issue is complex, because technology continues to advance, privacy policy standards continue to evolve, and the law is unclear on many aspects of privacy. Furthermore, the education sector lags industry in its implementation of privacy and security programs. A content analysis was conducted to identify patterns in legal provisions, general usability, and communication of sixteen university web privacy policies. This approach revealed what universities disclose about their information practices and user rights. The results reveal the commonalities of how web privacy policies are structured, what concepts are presented, and what information is absent. Additionally, recommendations are shared regarding how to develop comprehensive online privacy policies appropriate for higher education.