I recently had a series of conversations with educators about Google. I was anable to point these folks to the specific artcile I read a few years ago in which scholars challenged some of the assumptions we made how Google uses student data. I promised a blog post pointing to it. Here it is!
In a 2021 article, Kruta, Smits, and Willhelm conducted a technoethical audit of Google Workspace for Education. The scholars introduced the article by observing, “there is scant criticism of Google in educational technology literature, and they have faced little scrutiny in schools where Chromebooks, browsers, apps, search engines and more are used by students. Just as with users outside schools, we are concerned with what Google is taking from students (e.g., personal data), how it is targeting them (e.g., advertising, product familiarity), and where it is directing them (e.g., search and recommendation algorithms)” (p. 421). They then sought to answer questions about the ethics of its design and use, the unintended consequences of its use, and the limitations educators accept when it is used. While the authors do not suggest educators take a stand for or against the use of Google Workspace, they do conclude, “Schools should not be places where educational technology titans exploit students, test new products, or reimagine education through their own techno-corporate ideals of personalization, efficiency, and profits” (p. 428).
Krutka, D. G., Smits, R. M., & Willhelm, T. A. (2021). Don’t Be Evil: Should We Use Google in Schools? TechTrends, 65(4), 421–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00599-4