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