Coursera · Coursera Privacy Notice · View original document ↗

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 79 of 343 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Recent governance activity Coursera recorded 2 documented changes in the last 30 days.
Start monitoring updates
Monitor governance changes for Coursera Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.
Document Record

What it is

Coursera uses cookies and similar tools to track how you use the platform, which may include identifiers that can be used to recognize you across sessions.

This analysis describes what Coursera's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

Cookies and tracking technologies underpin the advertising and analytics data flows described elsewhere in the policy, and the legal requirements for their use differ significantly by jurisdiction.

Interpretive note: The specific types of cookies, the third parties receiving data, and the adequacy of the consent mechanism are not fully detailed in the document text.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium May 11, 2026

The updated terms now explicitly disclose that Coursera processes communications through voice-enabled features that transcribe audio into text, and clarify that personal data may be shared with third parties including affiliates and business partners. The policy expands descriptions of AI-driven personalization and chatbot applications that use your learning and interaction data. The terms establish that data may be transferred to entities that become Coursera affiliates or subsidiaries during business transitions. You should review the updated guidance that cautions against including unnecessary or sensitive personal data in the platform's free-text and voice-enabled communication features.

View change record →
Medium Apr 18, 2026

The updated Privacy Notice removes explicit language stating that the policy does not apply to Coursera's Ollie mobile application and no longer directs users to a separate Ollie Privacy Notice for that app. Previously, users of Ollie had clear notice to consult a dedicated privacy policy; that direction is now absent from the main Privacy Notice. The updated notice also narrows the scope of covered entities by removing 'affiliates' from the definition of Coursera, stating the policy now applies to Coursera, Inc., its subsidiaries, and international branches only. Users of the Ollie App should independently verify what privacy terms currently govern that application, as the main Coursera Privacy Notice no longer explicitly addresses Ollie coverage.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Your browsing and learning activity on Coursera may be tracked through cookies and similar technologies, contributing to both platform analytics and advertising partner data flows.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    Access Coursera's cookie preference tools through the privacy page or cookie consent banner to adjust which tracking technologies are permitted. EU and UK users can withdraw consent for non-essential cookies at any time.

How other platforms handle this

Ledger Medium

At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.

Garmin Medium

If you are located in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct, or erase your personal data; the right to restrict or object to our processing of your personal data; the right to data portability; and, where our processing is based on your...

Strava Medium

We may display advertisements on our Services and those advertisements may be targeted to your interests based on your personal information. We may share your personal information with advertising partners for interest-based advertising purposes. You may opt out of interest-based advertising by visi...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Coursera has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.

Get Monitor Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with small amounts of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier.

— Excerpt from Coursera's Coursera Privacy Notice

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Cookie use engages the EU ePrivacy Directive (requiring opt-in consent for non-essential cookies), GDPR (as the legal basis for consent-based processing), CCPA/CPRA (treating certain cookie-based data sharing as a sale or sharing subject to opt-out), and the UK PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations). Enforcement authorities include EU supervisory authorities, the UK ICO, and the California Privacy Protection Agency. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The requirement for affirmative opt-in consent for non-essential cookies in the EU and UK, and the opt-out right for cookie-based data sharing in California, means that Coursera's cookie consent mechanism must be jurisdiction-appropriate. Many DPA enforcement actions in the EU have focused on the adequacy of cookie consent banners. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA and UK users must be offered a genuine choice to decline non-essential cookies. California users must be able to opt out of the sharing of personal information collected via cookies with advertising partners. The adequacy of Coursera's consent tool for these jurisdictions is not fully assessable from the notice text alone. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations deploying Coursera in EU or UK contexts should verify that the cookie consent mechanism meets the applicable standard and is not configured to default to consent. Cookie audits should identify all third-party cookies set by advertising and analytics partners. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: A technical cookie audit should be conducted to identify all cookies set, their purposes, and the parties who receive the data. The consent mechanism should be tested against GDPR and PECR standards. California opt-out mechanisms should be verified.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

Track 1 platform — free Get Monitor

Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Monitor: 25 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority over consumer data collection practices including tracking technologies that may constitute unfair or deceptive practices.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

EU AI Act
European Union
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Coursera Privacy Notice
Entity
Coursera
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-006201
Document ID
CA-D-00158
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
59834b4e08e538f4b11e3db8b297dc7b75811100ba60ce40b60950ff40b3b3a6
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 18:17 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Coursera
Document: Coursera Privacy Notice
Record ID: CA-P-006201
Captured: 2026-05-10 18:17:25 UTC
SHA-256: 59834b4e08e538f4…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/coursera/coursera-privacy-notice/cookies-and-tracking-technologies/
Accessed: July 4, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Related Analysis

Compliance Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Compliance includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Get Compliance

Or start with Monitor →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Coursera's Cookies and Tracking Technologies clause do?

Cookies and tracking technologies underpin the advertising and analytics data flows described elsewhere in the policy, and the legal requirements for their use differ significantly by jurisdiction.

How does this clause affect you?

Your browsing and learning activity on Coursera may be tracked through cookies and similar technologies, contributing to both platform analytics and advertising partner data flows.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 79 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Coursera?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Coursera.