EFF complaint says Google broke privacy pledge by tracking students
The EFF is asking for a federal investigation into whether Google broke a pledge to honor student privacy with its educational tools. Today, the group filed a complaint with the FTC, alleging that Google for Education collects a broad range of data on students' browsing habits and gives administrators too much power to enable that collection. "We are calling on the FTC to investigate Google's conduct, stop the company from using student personal information for its own purposes, and order the company to destroy all information it has collected that's not for educational purposes," said EFF staff attorney Sophia Cope in a statement.
Google's educational initiative encompasses versions of its various web services, as well as Chromebook laptops and approved teaching material. In early 2015, the company signed the Student Privacy Pledge, a voluntary agreement that bars companies from selling student information, using data for anything but "authorized education purposes," and changing privacy policies without notice. President Barack Obama has promoted the pledge alongside more formal student privacy reforms, and around 200 companies currently abide by it.
COMPLAINT SAYS GOOGLE'S DATA COLLECTION GOES BEYOND LEGITIMATE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
But the EFF claims that Google goes beyond these limits. The complaint says that Google collects data to improve its own services, instead of for purely educational purposes. While Google stopped scanning student accounts for advertising purposes even before signing the pledge, the EFF argues that it still serves ads on non-educational services, which can be used while students are logged into school accounts.
The complaint also claims that Google automatically enables the Chrome Sync service on its Chromebook laptops, storing detailed browsing information by default. While users can turn Chrome Sync off, school administrators can override their settings using Google's system management tools. And the EFF alleges that administrators also have the option to let third-party websites track location data, which it says is "unquestionably sharing personal information beyond what is needed for educational purposes."
"OUR SERVICES ENABLE STUDENTS EVERYWHERE TO LEARN AND KEEP THEIR INFORMATION PRIVATE AND SECURE."
The EFF, which revealed its complaint alongside a larger campaign for student privacy, says that Google will soon restrict sync settings on educational Chromebooks. But it calls this a "small step in the right direction." Google, meanwhile, disputed the accusations. "Our services enable students everywhere to learn and keep their information private and secure," said a spokesperson. "While we appreciate EFF's focus on student privacy, we are confident that these tools comply with both the law and our promises, including the EFF complaint says Google broke privacy pledge by tracking students | The Verge:
