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How does Khan Academy protect the data privacy rights of international users?

Updated

At Khan Academy, protecting learner data is fundamental to our mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. As a global platform used by learners, families, and teachers, we design our privacy practices with recognized privacy principles in mind, such as transparency, fairness, and accountability.

These principles, inspired by the E.U. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), have influenced many privacy laws worldwide, making  the GDPR framework a useful reference for how we approach data privacy.  We aim to apply these principles across our platform while also adapting our practices to the legal requirements that apply in different regions. 

This article provides an overview of how we handle your data, work to keep it secure, and support your data rights.  It reflects our commitment to best practices but  is not  a statement of legal compliance across all countries, and your specific rights may vary by  location. 

For details of how we process your personal information, you should review our Privacy Policy 

Our privacy-first foundation

Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization, and that status is fundamental to how we approach data privacy.  We do not sell personal information, and we do not use our platform or your data to advertise commercial products.  We use personal information solely to deliver and improve educational experiences.

Our privacy program is grounded in a few key commitments:

  • Providing a safe and secure learning environment
  • Collecting the minimum amount of data needed to provide and improve our service
  • Maintaining transparency in how data is used
  • Giving users meaningful control over their data
  • Applying heightened protections for children 

These principles closely align with privacy principles relating to fairness, transparency, and accountability.

What data we collect—and why

We collect certain types of information to operate effectively: account information (such as username, email, and age data), learning activity (such as exercises completed and progress), and technical data (such as device type and approximate location).  We follow a data minimization approach, collecting only what is necessary to provide and improve our service. 

You can use much of Khan Academy without creating an account, which limits how much personal data we collect. When you do register, you may use a nickname rather than your legal name. 

We do not track your activity across other websites or use your data for advertising or behavioral profiling.

Want more details? See the Collection of Information section of our Privacy Policy.

Legal basis of processing

Privacy laws in some regions, including the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, require organizations to have a valid legal basis for processing personal data. Where these laws apply, Khan Academy relies on a range of legal bases, depending on the context, including:

  • Providing our services: using information to create and manage your account, provide services under our terms of service, and communicate with you about your account
  • Legitimate interests: improving the platform, maintaining security, and developing new features, while taking your rights and interests into account
  • Your consent: where you choose to participate in optional features or programs
  • Legal obligations: where we are required to use or retain information to comply with applicable laws

We aim to apply these principles thoughtfully and to use personal information only where there is a clear and appropriate reason to do so, considering the requirements that apply in your location.

For a deeper breakdown, see Why does Khan Academy process my personal data? 

How we use data to improve learning

We use data to understand what’s working well and how we can make Khan Academy better for everyone.  For example, we may look at which lessons are most helpful, where learners get stuck, or how features are used so we can improve content and design more effective learning experiences.

Whenever possible, we use de-identified or aggregated data for this kind of work.  While the specific approach differs depending on the activity, our goal is to minimize the use of personally identifiable information while still being able to improve the learning experience. 

How we keep data secure

We use a variety of technical and organizational measures to protect personal data, including: 

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Access controls and authentication measures
  • Careful vetting of service providers
  • Regular security testing and monitoring
  • Annual third-party security audits

We also maintain internal policies, training, and incident response processes to support ongoing security and compliance.  

While no system is completely risk-free, we work hard to safeguard your information and prepare ourselves to respond promptly to any incidents.

Learn more in What are Khan Academy's security practices? 

Your rights and choices

We are committed to supporting your rights to access and manage your data.  These rights may vary depending on your location and are subject to applicable legal limitations.  

Depending on where you live, your rights may include:

  • Accessing your personal data
  • Correcting inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Requesting deletion of your data
  • Restricting or objecting to certain uses of your data
  • Receiving a copy of your personal data 

You can exercise many of these rights directly through your Account Settings, including updating or deleting your personal information. If you need help with a privacy request or can't complete it through your account, contact our Privacy Team at privacy@khanacademy.org 

 We respond to data requests in line with applicable laws and required timeframes.

Go to your Account Settings to update or delete your information.
Contact our Privacy Team if you need help submitting a request.

When and how data is shared

We limit sharing of personal information to specific situations necessary to operate and improve our platform, such as:

  • With service providers who help us run the platform (such as hosting, analytics, and support services), under contractual restrictions designed to protect your information
  • With teachers or coaches, where a learner account is linked to a teacher’s account or class, so the teacher can view the student’s learning activity and support learning progress
  • With parents or guardians, where a learner account is linked to a parent account
  • With third-party tools or integrations, when you choose to connect them

Khan Academy provides its services directly to users.  When the platform is used in a classroom, schools and educators can view and use information made available through classroom features.  In most classroom uses, the account holder (or their parent or guardian, if applicable) maintains control of the user account.  In some structured school programs or subscriptions,  schools may have additional administrative controls over student accounts, as described in the relevant program terms.

We do not sell personal information and do not use your data for third-party advertising.

Learn more in the Disclosure of Information section of our Privacy Policy.

Data Retention and Deletion

We keep your data only as long as necessary to provide our services and meet legal obligations.  When it’s no longer needed, we delete or permanently remove any identifying information. Barring exceptional circumstances, we typically delete Khan Academy accounts after 2 years of inactivity. 

You can request deletion at any time through your account settings or Help Center.

Extra Protections for Younger Learners

We provide additional safeguards for younger learners under age 13, such as:

  • Child accounts limit participation in discussion forums
  • Parents may exercise controls over account sharing
  • Features are designed to reduce exposure of personal information

Learn more in our Children's Privacy Notice

If you use Khan Academy in a classroom outside the United States

Khan Academy can be used by learners on their own or together with educators in a classroom setting.  Our core privacy practices apply in either case.

If you join a class on Khan Academy, certain information about your learning activity (such as learning progress and completed exercises) may be visible to your teacher or coach so they can support your learning.  Classroom features are designed to share learning progress, but control over your account information generally remains with you (or your parent or guardian, if applicable).

Consistent with our mission of providing a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere, Khan Academy's free platform can be used by students and teachers as individual users under our public Terms of Service.  We do not offer separate contracts, data processing agreements, or other school-level arrangements for schools using the free platform outside the United States.  Schools and educators are responsible for determining whether using a U.S.-based platform is appropriate under the laws that apply to them, including any requirements relating to notice, consent, or data transfers.   Schools with compliance questions are encouraged to review our Privacy Policy and the other resources referenced in this article, and to consult their own legal or data protection advisors.

Khan Academy offers structured educational programs to schools and educational institutions in select countries outside the United States, principally through current or former subsidiaries and “KhanX” partners (independent nonprofit organizations authorized to provide school programs).  When schools participate in one of these programs, we may offer additional controls over student accounts and account data, aligned to local legal requirements, as described in the relevant program terms.

Learn more in our Schools and Student Use documentation.

Global Data Transfers

Khan Academy is based in the United States, and your information is primarily processed and stored there.

If you use our services from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

We take steps designed to protect personal information when it is transferred internationally, including using contractual safeguards with service providers where appropriate and applying consistent security and privacy practices across our platform.

Our approach to data protection is informed by widely recognized privacy frameworks, including principles reflected in the GDPR, while considering the legal requirements that apply in different regions.

How We Use AI Responsibly

We use AI tools and features to support platform operations and to help us develop and improve our platform. In addition, some features offered to Khan Academy account holders use AI to support productivity and learning activities.  These tools are designed with privacy in mind:

  • We do not permit third-party AI providers to use your personal data to train their models
  • We encourage all users to avoid including personal information in AI interactions
  • AI tools support learning—they don’t make important decisions about you

AI-enabled features are not offered in all jurisdictions or to all types of users.  

Read more about this in What is Khan Academy's approach to responsible AI development?

Internal Governance and Compliance

Khan Academy has appointed a Global Privacy Officer responsible for overseeing our data protection program and privacy compliance efforts, with support from external legal counsel across the jurisdictions in which we operate.

Our privacy compliance program includes review of new features and programs prior to launch, documentation of findings in impact assessments, including for our AI-enabled features such as Khanmigo, and staff training upon hire and annually thereafter.

Khan Academy monitors legal developments and evolving privacy standards globally, with the goal of continuously improving our practices as international frameworks develop.

Transparency and Ongoing Accountability

We regularly review and improve our privacy practices to keep your data safe and maintain your trust.  If we make material changes to our privacy policy, we provide notice and, where required, choice.

Have questions? Contact our Privacy Team
Visit the Help Center for FAQs and support

Learn More

For a deeper dive into our privacy practices, please review: