If your employer or school pays for your Coursera account, they may be able to see which courses you have taken, whether you completed them, and how far you have progressed.
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
Many users may not realize that enrollment through an employer or university program means their learning activity is visible to that organization, which could affect employment or academic assessments.
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 means that course enrollment choices, completion status, and learning progress data may be accessible to an employer or institution, which could be reviewed in performance or academic contexts.
How other platforms handle this
We will also provide an individual opt-out choice, or opt-in for sensitive data, before we share your data with third parties other than our agents, or before we use it for a purpose other than which it was originally collected.
to request that your data be transferred to a third party (data portability)
Your organization may allow you to access and export your data in order to back it up or transfer it to a service outside of Google.
"If you are accessing Coursera through a subscription purchased by your employer, educational institution, or other organization, that organization may have access to certain information about your activity on Coursera, including the courses you've started and completed, and your progress through courses.Excerpt from Coursera's Privacy Notice
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages GDPR Articles 13 and 14 (transparency obligations), FERPA where the institutional client is an educational institution and Coursera acts as a school official or service provider, and CCPA where California-resident …
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Ad personalization controls removed. Contact scanning added. Advertiser data partnerships quietly dropped. A timeline of every change.
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Many users may not realize that enrollment through an employer or university program means their learning activity is visible to that organization, which could affect employment or academic assessments.
This provision means that course enrollment choices, completion status, and learning progress data may be accessible to an employer or institution, which could be reviewed in performance or academic contexts.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 290 platforms. See the full comparison.
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