Edmodo
{{Short description|Discontinued learning management system}}
{{tone|date=July 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Edmodo
| logo = Ed Modo logo.svg
| screenshot = Edmodo iOS app screenshot.png
| caption = Screenshot of the Edmodo app running on an iPad
| location = San Mateo, California
| industry = Education
| parent = NetDragon
| registration = Required
| language = Arabic, English, Croatian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Greek, French, Italian, Turkish, Dutch, Chinese, Swedish, Indonesian
| company_type = Subsidiary
| services = Education technology
| foundation = {{start date and age|2008|09|01}}
| dissolved = {{end date and age|2022|09|22}}
| creators = Nic Borg, Jeff O'Hara, Crystal Hutter
| area_served = Worldwide
| website_type = Social learning network, Social learning tools, Networked learning
| num_users = 87.4 millionhttps://www.edmodo.com/about{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
| current_status = Discontinued
}}
Edmodo was an educational technology platform for Kâ12 schools and teachers. Launched in 2008, it enabled teachers to share content, distribute quizzes and assignments, and manage communication with students, colleagues, and parents. The service was shut down on September 22, 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-16 |title=Popular K-12 Tool Edmodo Shuts Down - EdSurge News |url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-08-16-popular-k-12-tool-edmodo-shuts-down |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=EdSurge}}
History
Edmodo.id was found by Nic Borg, Ed O'Neil, Jeff O'Hara, and Crystal Hutter in 2008.{{Cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edmodo-microblogging-platform-for-educators-merges-with-revolution-learnings-fusion-project-84022217.html/|title=Edmodo, Microblogging Platform for Educators, Merges with Revolution r4r4r4r4d4fLearning's Fusion Project|date=Feb 10, 2010|publisher=PR Newswire}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.openeducation.net/2008/09/20/edmodo-free-microblogging-site-for-educators/|title=Edmodo Free Microblogging Site for Educators|date=Sep 20, 2008|publisher=Open Education|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924060825/http://www.openeducation.net/2008/09/20/edmodo-free-microblogging-site-for-educators/|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=dead}} It was backed by Index Ventures, Benchmark, Greylock Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Union Square Ventures, Tenaya Capital, SingTel, and KDDI.{{Cite web|url=https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-08-06-edmodo-raises-30m-round-led-by-index-ventures/|title=Edmodo Raises $30M Round Led by Index Ventures|last=Wan|first=Tony|date=Aug 6, 2014|publisher=EdSurge}}
In 2013, Edmodo.id was included in the list of "The Top Apps for teachers" by PC Magazine.{{cite news| url=http://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2012/industry/education#2tor | work=Fast Company | title=Back to School: The Top Apps for Teach ldvm jh oPAskojyoers|date = Aug 21, 2013}} The same year, Edmodo acquired a startup, Root-1, in an effort to establish itself as the app store for education.{{Cite web|url = https://techcrunch.com/2013/03/06/now-18m-users-strong-edmodo-makes-its-first-acquisition-in-root-1-to-become-the-app-market-for-education/|title = Now 18M Users Strong, Edmodo Makes Its First Acquisition In Root-1 To Become The App Market For Education|date = Mar 6, 2013|publisher = TechCrunch|last = Empson|first = Rip}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-03-05-edmodo-acquires-root-1|title = Edmodo Acquires Root-1|date = Mar 5, 2013|publisher = TechCrunch}} Vibhu Mittal, co-founder and CEO of Root-1, became the CEO of Edmodo the following year.{{Cite web|url = https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-12-22-exclusive-edmodo-turns-to-its-roots-for-a-new-ceo/|title = EXCLUSIVE: Edmodo Turns to Its Roots for a New CEO|date = Dec 22, 2014|publisher = EdSurge|last = Wan|first = Tony}}
In 2014, Edmodo launched Snapshot â a suite of assessment tools to measure student progress on educational standards.{{Cite web|url = https://indexventures.com/news-room/blog/bringing-innovation-to-our-educational-systems-why-index-invested-in-edmodo|title = Bringing innovation to our educational systems|date = Jul 14, 2014|publisher = Index Ventures}} The company also partnered with Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press to provide access to educational content on the Edmodo Platform{{Cite web|url = http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150121005174/en/Oxford-University-Press-Social-Learning-Platform-Edmodo#.VT3AyGR4pgQ/|title = Oxford University Press and Social Learning Platform Edmodo Partner to Enhance Pupil Learning|date = Jan 21, 2015|publisher = Business Wire}} and bring Edmodo Snapshot to the UK.{{Cite web|url = http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/news/cambridge-uk-schools-team-partner-edmodo/|title = Cambridge UK schools team partner with Edmodo|date = Jan 20, 2015|publisher = Cambridge}}
In January 2017, Edmodo launched professional development courses for teachers in the state of New York in conjunction with NYPTI. These included both a synchronous video classroom component as well as an asynchronous, text based discussion component.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
On May 17, 2017, Edmodo sent an email informing users that it was the victim of a major hack of user information. Some 77 million users' data were breached: this included the username, hashed password and email address (in a subset of the cases, since not all users need an email address to register). Since passwords were both hashed and salted (encrypted) using the bcrypt algorithm,{{cite web|url=https://www.scmagazine.com/millions-of-identities-stolen-from-education-platform-edmodo/article/661351/|title=Millions of identities stolen from education platform Edmodo|date=2017-05-12|last=Masters|first=Greg|publisher=SC Media|access-date=2017-05-12}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/hacker-steals-millions-of-user-account-details-from-education-platform-edmodo/|title=Hacker Steals Millions of User Account Details from Education Platform Edmodo|date=May 11, 2017|last=Cox|first=Joseph|publisher=Motherboard|access-date=2017-05-17}} the effort to decrypt all the passwords would have been very large. There were no reports of any school data being affected, nor any identities compromised, according to an external audit commissioned by the company.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
In June 2017, Edmodo announced Ask Mo, an educational video search engine. Ask Mo's search algorithm is based on videos that had been shared by teachers in the context of educational discussions and can be filtered by subject and grade level.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}
On April 8, 2018, Edmodo announced that it was being acquired by NetDragon for $137.5 million in cash and stock.{{cite news |author= |title=NetDragon Signs Agreement to Acquire Edmodo to Create the Largest Global Learning Community |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netdragon-signs-agreement-to-acquire-edmodo-to-create-the-largest-global-learning-community-300626053.html |agency=PR Newswire |date=2018-04-08 |access-date=2018-04-08}}{{primary source inline|date=July 2021}}
In July 2019, Edmodo claimed to have over 100 million users worldwide.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/edmodo/status/591766822245900289/|title=We have connected 50 million learners!|date=Apr 24, 2015|publisher=Twitter}}
On August 15, 2022, Edmodo announced that the platform would be closed on September 22, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Mangaluz |first=Jean |date=2022-08-16 |title=Online education platform Edmodo to shut down in September |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1647517/online-education-platform-edmodo-shutting-down |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}
Criticisms
The Federal Trade Commission on May 22, 2023 sued Edmodo, LLC for violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data on children without parental consent and "for unlawfully outsourcing its COPPA compliance responsibilities to schools."{{Cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/ftc-edmodo-edtech-violate-kids-privacy-defunct-1850465696 |title=FTC Accuses Defunct Edtech Company Edmodo of Violating Kids' Privacy |date=May 23, 2023 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/05/ftc-says-ed-tech-provider-edmodo-unlawfully-used-childrens-personal-information-advertising |title=FTC Says ed Tech Provider Edmodo Unlawfully Used Children's Personal Information for Advertising and Outsourced Compliance to School Districts |date=May 22, 2023 }} A penalty fine of $6 million USD was imposed, but would only have to be paid if Edmodo continued business in the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/05/oh-no-you-dont-edmodo-ftc-sues-ed-tech-company-violating-school-kids-privacy |title=Oh no, you don't, Edmodo: FTC sues ed tech company for violating school kids' privacy |date=May 21, 2023 }} On June 28, 2023, in conjunction with the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, the FTC laid a permanent injunction on Edmodo, LLC. to not violate COPPA rulings, prevent the collection of any more data than was necessary, and to delete all data collected from students under 13 years of age.{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/permanent-injunction-imposed-online-education-platform-company-edmodo-llc-alleged |title=Northern District of California | Permanent Injunction Imposed on Online Education Platform Company Edmodo, LLC for Alleged Violations of Children's Privacy Law | United States Department of Justice |date=June 28, 2023 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sanjoseinside.com/business/san-mateo-firm-permanently-barred-from-using-its-online-system-admits-harvesting-data-about-36m-children/ |title=San Mateo Firm Permanently Barred from Using Its Online System, Admits Harvesting Data About 36M Children |date=June 30, 2023 }}
References
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{{Classroom management software}}
Category:American educational websites
Category:Classroom management software
Category:Internet properties established in 2008
Category:Privately held companies based in California
Category:Android (operating system) software
Category:Companies based in San Mateo, California
Category:2008 establishments in California
Category:Educational technology companies of the United States