Uni students as data controllers. It's not just me who thinks this is daft, right?

[pete]

Reviewing terms and conditions for a service we may now be sourcing elsewhere I spotted the following.

 

Online tutoring platform that employs uni students with decent grades to tutor primary and secondary students. Requires:

 

• Said uni students to act an independent data controller
  
• Register with ICO as a data controller
  
• Comply with SARs
  
• Have in place security measures to ensure the security of personal data
  

I'm not the only one thinking there's no way uni students will register with ICO and this is just the platform abdicating responsibility, right?

[elsiegee40]

Sounds like it to me… and I am pretty sure they can’t shirk their legal liabilities that easily.

@GrumbleDook?

[powdarrmonkey]

Sounds like the platform is trying to act as an introductory agency for independent tutors and avoid any responsibility except collecting the money (surprise). Where did the word employ come from, do they say that? Because that is significant.

 

Send a cat to meet their pigeons and ask for a model employment contract as part of your due diligence. Their response will tell you a lot.

[PotNoodleTech]

So uni students that are only just out of school are going to be doing the tutoring? Hmm.

 

Either way - on the data protection side sounds like one of them services that you "run away run away!!!

[Andrew_C]

So uni students that are only just out of school are going to be doing the tutoring?

Not at all uncommon. One of the Sorta-dortas is doing "Study Skills" training in secondary schools. She'd just be finishing 2nd year at Uni if she'd not dropped out. I think the thinking is that the kids will believe someone who looks about their age, and has recently been through school.

 

The data controller bit is B/S.

[pete]

Sounds like the platform is trying to act as an introductory agency for independent tutors and avoid any responsibility except collecting the money (surprise). Where did the word employ come from, do they say that? Because that is significant.

 

Send a cat to meet their pigeons and ask for a model employment contract as part of your due diligence. Their response will tell you a lot.

 

"Employ" is me paraphrasing. I'm reading it as gig economy role with the organisation acting (in all other aspects) as an employer pulling an Uber to reduce costs and liability.

[GrumbleDook]

Hahahahahaha ..... Forget any reference to them being students, at a Uni or so on.

Tutor agency wants contractors to take on an independent status rather than being considered an employee or agent, and in doing they must make sure they comply with all relevant legislation as a business, including for data protection, information security, financial management, tax, etc.

They are targeting Uni students as they might presume the students don't know any better. There are other things I could say about some such agencies (most are really good and do it right, just for the record) that are really stories for in the bar after the next EG conference. The stuff about being closer to the age of the customer is partly correct, but there is strong reasoning about cheap and unqualified labour within what is effectively another part of the gig economy!