It stems from the decision of the Data Inspection Authority in Denmark which was signed on 14 July.
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In both Denmark and Norway, many schools use Chromebooks.
These computers have Google’s own operating system, Chrome OS, instead of Windows or macOS.
Schools also use Google Workspace.
has now Data Inspectorate of Denmark Helsingør Municipality is prohibited from processing personal data with Google Chromebooks and Workspace. The ban can also apply to other municipalities.
The Data Inspectorate requires all municipalities to stop using a Google product, unless they can document the responsible processing of privacy information.
Provides personal information
One reason for the decision is the transfer of personal information to the United States, according to the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. Helsingør municipality has an agreement for Google support in the USA.
According to the audit, this personal information can be obtained by the judiciary in the USA.
They believe this violates the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which regulates how data is protected.
The ban applies until the municipality can document the processing of personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Last year, Elsinore was asked to carry out an assessment of the risks related to the processing of personal data at the school. The order was issued after the municipality received two complaints about how the information was handled.
The municipality submitted its assessment. The audit was not satisfied with what they read.
It was discussed in Norway as well
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority has also assessed whether the use of various Google products in schools is in violation of the law.
When Bergens Tidende wrote about this in 2020, the data scrutiny body raised questions about whether Google had been given too big a role.
Google is one of the most valuable companies in the world. Their business idea is to collect data about users. Next, it is clear that we must largely discuss what role this company should play in Norwegian schools, Björn Erik Thun, director of the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, told BT. and then.
He also said that Google’s terms, which govern who can access personal information, are difficult to understand.
You must have a complete overview
The Data Inspectorate has not discouraged the use of Chromebooks, but it does on the authority’s websites More tips For municipalities that use so-called cloud services.
The Data Inspectorate writes, among other things, that:
- Municipalities should have a complete overview of the agreements with those who process the data, no matter how complex it is here.
- Municipalities must provide sufficient information to students and parents about the solutions they use. It is not enough to refer, for example, to Google’s websites for information on how data is processed. The information must be understandable.
- Solutions must be designed in a way that protects users’ privacy.
Cloud services are services in which information is stored on computers elsewhere in the world and is available over the Internet, rather than only on computers or on local area networks.
Aftenposten corrects: A previous release stated that Chromebooks would be illegal in Danish schools. this is not true. The truth is that Workspace, a web-based feature similar to Gmail, is almost illegal to use. The reason is that you are no longer allowed to process privacy information using Google chromebooks and Workspace for Education. Corrected on 19.09.
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