OpEd: GoGuardian should not be watching you

By Sammy Blissitte

Opinion Editor

Dec. 13, 2024

Young people today are under threat from all sides. They are being surveilled by the government, social media, retail companies, advertisers, and now even our own schools. Gross mismanagement of our personal data amongst all of these entities is a foregone conclusion. Seemingly everyday, there is a new news article of a data breach or data spill affecting financial, medical, and other personal data that would otherwise never be shared. A line must be drawn for personal data to remain personal.

The use of GoGuardian and other student monitoring programs such as Gaggle and Bark in academic settings has risen exponentially, with substantial numbers of teachers now implementing the computer program at Konawaena High School and other schools nationwide. The software companies say they help schools protect student well-being and improve learning. But the problem with GoGuadian lies in the danger of misuse by school administrators, with potentially dire consequences for the target children. 

For example, GoGuardian has been criticized for monitoring keystrokes, using the webcam, and flagging terms reported to administration and parents that put LGBTQ+ students in a potentially unsafe situation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reported in June of 2023 that: “In our research, LGBTQ+ resources are still commonly flagged for containing words like ‘sex,’ ‘breasts,’ or ‘vagina.’” Such flags can cause serious harm to students who are questioning their identity or sexuality when they feel they cannot safely share that information with their families.

Furthermore, monitoring health-related pages could infringe on patient confidentiality and again expose students' personal information. Although K-12 schools are generally not covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), student health records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

My father, Cory Blissitte, said: "Given the current political climate present around large swaths of the country, the ability of an application to flag sexual orientation and gender-specific phrases in any capacity and forward their presence to a school administrator is extremely dangerous to the students involved.”

To be sure, there is a problem at Konawaena and other schools with the misuse of school-supplied technology such as laptops and tablets. Yet, the reason for the distribution of these devices is another call for concern over the use of GoGuardian. Sometimes the school-issued device is a student's only source of internet access, thus they can be expected to use it for more personal matters that could be flagged as ‘dangerous’ or tracked and monitored by GoGuardian. Even on a school computer, a student should have safe personal space free from view by a teacher.

Another factor is the issue of trust between teachers and students. In many schools there is a push for students to come to teachers about any issues they struggle with in school. But monitoring online usage is a big incentive for students to not confide in a teacher. 

At Konawaena High School, many web extensions and sites are blocked from student view. One of them is Ublock, which is an open source extension that is incredibly effective at removing ads and unwanted content from sites such as YouTube. Why this site that could support the school's educational goals is blocked is baffling, and is one example why some students hesitate to switch to a school-issued device or trade in an older school-issued device that is degrading. 

Despite the rules against it, some students continue to use personal computers in class to avoid having a monitor and restrictor on their device. In my opinion, students should not be subject to GoGuardian watching their every move, recording their activity, and hampering their expression, exploration, and effective work habits.