Personal Information Protection Commission

Press Release

The PIPC and the Ministry of Education Jointly Conduct Fact-Finding Reviews of the EdTech Sector

- EdTech companies providing public education platform services are subject to the joint fact-finding reviews 

- The PIPC and the Ministry of Education will examine whether sufficient safeguards are put in place and overhaul their compliance practices

May 18, 2026

(This is an unofficial translation of a press release, originally prepared in Korean.)

The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) and the Ministry of Education will jointly conduct fact-finding reviews of the EdTech sector to address growing privacy concerns from the ground following recent data breaches that took place at EdTech companies. The PIPC is currently moving away from a system focused mainly on ex-post responses to an ex-ante and prevention-driven framework to better safeguard the privacy of the Korean people.

Pursuant to Article 63-2 of the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), a Fact-Finding Review Scheme is designed to preemptively identify privacy vulnerabilities of data controllers and prevent potential privacy risks in advance.

Starting from the end of May 2026, seven EdTech services will be subject to the joint fact finding reviews with a focus on the following categories:

● Services registered on the platform called Edzip (edzip.kr) that provide EdTech related information and experiences; 

● Digital Tools selected by municipal and provincial offices of education; and
● Learning management services

The joint fact-finding reviews will review the following areas:

● Status of obtaining consent from data subjects for the collection and use of personal information; 

● Destruction after meeting the initial purposes; 

● Procedures for collecting children’s personal information; and

● Compliance with putting safeguards in place under the PIPA, including vulnerability assessments, access authority management, administrator account management, access controls, and retention and management of access logs

The PIPC and the Ministry of Education will overhaul the public education support platforms’ personal data processing practices and take necessary measures, including issuing correction recommendations, after finalizing the joint fact-finding reviews. The joint fact-finding reviews aim to establish a robust and safe management system for faculty staff, students, and parents to better enjoy the benefits presented by EdTech.

* A PDF file, formatted for better readability, is attached.