GoGuardian is an Edu Tech student monitoring system used by almost 1600 school districts all over the USA. However, GoGuardian has been criticized for spying on students and tampering with their basic human rights. If you are a student and wonder whether GoGuardian is spyware or not then worry not. I will dive in to find the truth behind these rumors. So without any delays, let’s start right now.
Quick Navigation
- Brief Overview
- Is GoGuardian Spyware?
- Is GoGuardian Secure?
- How To Know If Your School Spying On You
- Precautionary Tips
- Final Verdict
- FAQs
Brief Overview
GoGuardian is not spyware, it’s student surveillance software that is installed on students’ school-issued laptops and other devices. Furthermore, GoGuardian is equipped with AI and machine-learning abilities to monitor student’s activities and restrict them automatically. However, we should not neglect the negative impact of enforcing GoGuardian in school districts and there is a dire need for careful implementation of such a student monitoring system.
Is GoGuardian Spyware?
GoGuardian claims to be a student monitoring and remote tracking software that uses AI and Machine learning to automatically block or restrict students’ laptop activities with their consent. However, in recent years students have been complaining about their privacy concerns regarding the misuse of the student activity monitoring system in the school.
The key objective of implementing GoGuardian in schools was to enhance the productivity of students, stop suicides, and maintain discipline. Whereas the reality was far worse than I was expecting, GoGuardian’s AI is not capable enough to differentiate the intent behind the student’s web searches.
In some schools, students are limited to using only one tab on their school-issued laptops for doing assignments. Furthermore, they cannot access necessary information about their sexual health as it has been misclassified as adult content.
Senator Warren’s Office March 30, 2022 report, conducted an in-depth investigation on 4 major student surveillance platforms including GoGuardian. This report concluded that these student monitoring programs may increase student’s negative interactions with law informants. Moreover, 3 out of 4 student monitoring software did not send violation alerts to the students directly.
Is GoGuardian Secure?
In terms of data keeping GoGuardian is secure. It does not use student’s data for marketing and advertisements. However, the main concern is whether, GoGuardian and other student monitoring platforms like Bark, Gaggle, and Securly Inc. are safe for students’ mental health.
On 5th May 2022, the Center for Democracy & Technology published a report about the negative impact and risk of student monitoring on their mental health. According to the report 6 out of 10 students said that they were uncomfortable in expressing their true feelings on online platforms if they knew that they were being monitored by school authorities.
How To Know If Your School Spying On You
If you wish to know whether your school is spying on you or not then these tricks will be invaluable for tracking GoGuardian student monitoring software on your laptop. Here are some tips that may come in handy for checking whether your school is spying on you or not:
Check Background Running App On Your Laptop
This is the first thing that may be useful to detect spyware on your PC. To do that, click on the upward arrow icon on the right side of the taskbar and you will see all hidden apps on your school-issued laptop. Next, right-click on the suspicious-looking app and select Quit or Exit button.
Test Filtering Feature On Your School-Issued Device
You can check the filtering feature by searching keywords on your device such as Netflix, Instagram, TikTok, etc. but don’t search for pornographic or physically abusive content through a school-issued laptop or tablet.
Precautionary Tips
Here are some basic tips that will come in handy to protect your privacy:
1. Don’t Share Your Personal Information
Avoid sharing your personal information through your school-issued device.
2. Create Separate Accounts For School And Personal Use
Always create separate accounts for personal use and don’t log in to them on your school-issued laptop.
3. Don’t Search Restricting Content
Do not search for pornographic content on your school’s laptop or tablet because it may cause you big trouble and get suspended or expelled from the school.
Final Verdict
Schools are meant to be a place for learning and self-exploration. In my findings, implementing GoGuardian and other student surveillance platforms in schools did not work as they were supposed to. Instead, it turned schools into prisons where Big Brother is always watching the students and restraining their overall development.
FAQs
Is GoGuardian Spyware?
No, GoGuardian is one of the most used student monitoring platforms in American school districts.
Is GoGuardian Illegal In USA?
No, GoGuardian is a legal student monitoring software. It has been implemented by more than 1600 school districts in the United States Of America.
Can GoGuardian See My Web Browser?
Yes, GoGuardian can remotely view your search history and keystrokes on your PC's browser.
