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Coursera states that audio and video content uploaded by instructors through Live2Coursera, which may include the recorded voices of students in live lectures, may be made publicly available to all users of the Coursera platform. The notice places responsibility on instructors to obtain necessary consents from students before sharing student contact information.
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
This provision establishes that student voice recordings captured in instructor-uploaded lecture content may be made publicly accessible to all Coursera platform users, which may require evaluation under FERPA, COPPA for minor participants, and applicable state consent-to-record statutes depending on jurisdiction.
Interpretive note: FERPA applicability and state recording consent statute requirements depend on the specific institutional context, program type, and jurisdiction of participants.
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 →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 →This provision establishes that student voices captured in Live2Coursera lecture recordings may be made publicly available to all Coursera platform users if an instructor uploads the content. The notice assigns to instructors the obligation to obtain student consent before sharing student contact information, but does not specify that student consent for public distribution of their voice recordings is separately required by Coursera.
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"Coursera will collect the audio and video content instructors choose to upload through Third Party Offerings, as well as the instructor's name, email address, and thumbnail image. Instructors may also provide us with the contact information of their students to allow Coursera to share the link to that content with those students. Instructors should ensure that the proper consents and permissions are obtained from these students before sharing their contact information. Please note that the audio and video content instructors provide to Coursera may include the voices of students participating in the live lecture, and that we may make all such content publicly available to all users of our platform.Excerpt from Coursera's Privacy Notice
1. REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision may engage FERPA if the content constitutes an educational record and the institution receives federal funding. State consent-to-record statutes (including two-party or all-party consent requirements in California, Illinois, and other states) may apply to audio recordings of student voices. COPPA is engaged if any student participants are under 13. The FTC has general enforcement authority over deceptive practices. 2. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The provision authorizes broad public distribution of audio and video content that may contain identifiable student voices without a disclosed mechanism for students to consent to or opt out of public distribution. The responsibility for obtaining student consent is placed on instructors, not on Coursera directly, which may create ambiguity about whether Coursera's public distribution of recordings is conditioned on adequate student consent having been obtained. 3. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California (two-party consent under Penal Code section 632), Illinois (two-party consent under the Eavesdropping Act), and other all-party consent states create heightened exposure for audio recording of students. FERPA applicability depends on institutional status. EU and UK GDPR create obligations regarding lawful basis for processing voice data of identifiable individuals. 4. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Institutional partners using Live2Coursera should review whether their use of the service creates institutional liability for student privacy violations, particularly under FERPA and state recording consent laws. Coursera's terms place consent responsibility on instructors, which procurement teams at institutions should evaluate in the context of their own faculty use policies. 5. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams at institutions deploying Live2Coursera should assess whether faculty guidance and student disclosure practices satisfy applicable consent-to-record statutes and FERPA requirements. Coursera should be asked to clarify whether public distribution of uploaded recordings is conditioned on instructor certification that student consents have been obtained.
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, and regulatory mapping built from archived source documents and historical version tracking.
This provision establishes that student voice recordings captured in instructor-uploaded lecture content may be made publicly accessible to all Coursera platform users, which may require evaluation under FERPA, COPPA for minor participants, and applicable state consent-to-record statutes depending on jurisdiction.
This provision establishes that student voices captured in Live2Coursera lecture recordings may be made publicly available to all Coursera platform users if an instructor uploads the content. The notice assigns to instructors the obligation to obtain student consent before sharing student contact information, but does not specify that student consent for public distribution of their voice recordings is separately required …
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