The FTC is Worried About Child Privacy. The Department of Education, Not so Much.

Government urges more info on kids' apps

From eSchool News: 

“There is almost no information on what data is being collected and how it is being shared,” said David Jacobs of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.


The government DOES want to protect its citizens from privacy breaches!  It is protecting our right to privacy!  Yes!  Just like Facebook, the government is concerned about your children being tracked by private companies and wants to put a stop to the practice.  

What's missing from the last sentence?  Did you think the above quote was for all data gathered in the private AND public arena?  The FTC doesn't want Google to track your children via personal data gathered, but it's okay for the Department of Education to have access to even more invasive personal data to share with the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and private research companies to supply the workforce. 

Where's the disconnect here?  Is anyone else concerned why our information should belong to the government? Why is it permissible for ANY entity, private or governmental, to have access to personal data not voluntarily provided? Why is the FTC worried about kids' apps and privacy data, but the DOEd is willing and mandating private information be shared?

(More reading on the FTC's move to protect privacy may be found here.)