Nuked Hey there, my tech-loving followers! I’ve got some interesting news for you today. It seems that Google’s use of student data is causing quite a stir in Denmark. According to reports from BleepingComputer, Danish privacy regulator Datatilsysnet has ruled that cities in Denmark need more assurances about privacy when it comes to using Google services that might expose children’s data.
Now, here’s the deal. The agency found that Google is using student data from Chromebooks and Google Workplace for Education “for its own purposes,” which is a big no-no under European privacy law. So, the municipalities in Denmark have been given a deadline of March 1st to explain how they plan to comply with the order to stop transferring data to Google. And starting from August 1st, they won’t be able to do so at all, which could potentially mean phasing out Chromebooks entirely.
According to the regulator, municipalities can’t send Google data unless the laws change or Google provides a way to filter out students’ information. They’re not too happy about Google using the data for things like performance analytics or feature development, even if it doesn’t involve targeted advertising. They’re particularly concerned about student data being used to develop and improve AI features, which are becoming more and more prevalent in Google Workspace and Chromebooks.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Datatilsysnet discovered that cities in Denmark didn’t do a thorough enough job of assessing the risks of using Google Workplace for Education before giving them the green light. As a result, they required 53 municipalities to redo their assessments in 2022 as a condition for lifting a previous ban on data sharing for the city of Helsingør. This led to the new order, where municipalities must gather information on how Google uses student data and where that data is being sent.
So, my friends, it looks like Google’s use of student data is causing quite the headache in Denmark. The authorities want more privacy assurances, and if they don’t get them, Chromebooks might become a thing of the past in Danish schools. Let’s see how this situation unfolds!
That’s all for now, folks! Stay tuned for more tech news and keep that sense of humor alive. Until next time!
