Google has decided to pull out of the Glow procurement process.
This will come as a bit of a shock to some folk in Scottish education who have been keen for Google Apps for Education to be the basis of the next iteration of Glow. Google will instead concentrate in trying to work with individual local authorities to provide it’s Apps For Education package. Apart from the concerns this must raise about fragmentation my concerns about Google Apps and Google being involved in Scottish education continue. I have always had real concerns about Google and the privacy of an individuals data collected by Google. These concerns have grown over the last couple of months.
I always was sceptical about Google Apps in education. Although Google say’s in its privacy policy about Apps for Education that they do not track or collect personal data there is a real sense question of trust around Google. Teachers and parents want to be totally convinced. Personally I don’t trust Google as a corporation anymore.
Why?
Here are some reasons
Google’s business model – the selling of ads targeted on individual user behaviour – relies on collecting browsing information from its visitors. Before Thursday 28th of February 2012 different services did not share this information. This meant a search on, for example, YouTube, would not affect the results or advertising you would encounter on another Google site such as Gmail. The new agreement, which users cannot opt out of unless they stop using Google’s services, will mean activity on all of the company’s sites will be linked. Here are just part of the terms of use “When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content,” says the new and unified privacy policy of Google, which came to effect on March 1, 2012.
This change in privacy policy has led Viviane Reding, the European commissioner of justice, to say there are ‘doubts’ over the legality of internet giant’s move as French authorities open EU-wide investigation.
Google subverted mobile Safari’s default protections to track users in ways they did not agree to be tracked, as the Wall Street Journal reported: “The findings appeared to contradict some of Google’s own instructions to Safari users on how to avoid tracking.”
Google illegally accepted ads for Canadian pharmacies with the purpose of delivering them to American users.
Google and personal data
What about the data Google might hold on pupils and teachers? What if I wanted to find out what information Google had collected about me then as an EU citizen under EU -wide data protection rules, anyone can send a written request for their full data and, for a small fee, the company has to ship it out, usually within 40 days. As this article recently in the Guardian points out “The company has a main US branch, Google Inc, and subsidiaries within other countries. In the UK, that’s Google UK Ltd. Here’s the catch: Google UK Ltd, which is subject to the EU rules that let you access your data, doesn’t hold it. As Google says in a statement: “Please note that Google UK Ltd does not process any personal data in relation to Google services, which are provided by Google Inc, a US-incorporated company whose address you can find in the Google privacy policy.” While we can find Google Inc’s address, that doesn’t necessarily help: a spokeswoman for the UK regulator, the ICO, confirmed that EU laws on subject access requests do not extend to the US parent company. This means there’s no real chance of getting hold of user data from Google through this route.”
Google Apps for Government Concerns.
These concerns about Google, trust and privacy are spreading. According to SafeGov.org experts Jeff Gould and Karen Evans, “Google’s recent changes to its privacy policy allowing it to combine information about users pulled from the entire range of its online products raises serious privacy concerns for Google Apps For Government (GAFG) that should not be overlooked by public sector officials who have already made the move to the cloud or who are looking to move to the cloud.”
Norwegian and German Public Sector concerns.
Norwegian public sector organisations will be banned from using Google Apps after the Norwegian data protection authorities ruled that the service could put citizens’ personal data at risk.
The data protection authority said Google Apps did not comply with Norwegian privacy laws because there was insufficient information about where data was being kept.
Given this growing concern it is probably just as well that Google decided to walk away from the national procurement for Glow. The question is will individual local authorities in Scotland want to use Google Apps in Education?
Hi Jim,
This came as a bit of a surprise. Does that just leave MS as the sole contender? Is this a good thing?
Jim/John,
Speaking as one who has no influence on this situation I make a few comments / observations.
Seems to me that it is appropriate that Glow should continue and evolve based on the experience of lessons learned from the last 7 years. There is absolutely no doubt that the ICT landscape has changed a great deal in this period and we can only expect that it will continue to evolve over the next 7 years ;-) The pace of change may even accelerate.
Once the requirements for the new service have been defined it seems perfectly reasonable to evaluate any offers from credible organisations in an open and accountable manner ( whether free or paid for). Further, any company who chooses not to participate in this process effectively disqualifies its self. This seems to be the position with Google in relation to Glow Futures. But they also seen to be attempting to circumnavigate the evaluation process by approaching LAs directly. Hmmmmm!!!!!!
I also think that armed 7 years of experience those who are responsible for Glow should be well placed to define what is needed for the next iteration of the service. Whatever happens, I think that the concept of Glow is sound and should be developed. In particular we have SSO based around a trusted user directory – too loose that would be very sad indeed and a major step backward. I also feel that we need to maintain the concept of an account provisioning service. This is something I exercised my own thinking around this, see the following post for more detail http://www.ruachonline.org.uk/blog/?p=546 this does not in any way discount the possibility of Google playing a part in the service landscape if its deemed to be “fit for purpose”.
We should also take account the approach being taken by other countries – I was interested to hear about the approach that it being taken by Wales recently and I posted on that topic too. see here http://www.ruachonline.org.uk/blog/?p=555
Coming back to Google – seems to me that this is an example of a global corporation, which has its business model, centred on advertising revenue. It achieves its goals by using its user base’s data to target users with relevant adverts etc….. I don’t believe that Google is providing the free Apps for Education service as a charity to an impoverished user base – it is part of their commercial business strategy with the obvious benefit of growing its user base. I am not in any way trying to diminish benefits of the Google package ( each time I google for something I find the service very useful ) but I am clear about one thing – if its to have a role in Education it must be fully evaluated and provided on the basis of a sound contract. Lets not forget that Google could decide to change it’s strategy for the provision of free services to education, or to remove some element of the service package, it could do this without the need for consultation or warning.
I sincerely hope that this situation can be resolved for the benefit of Scottish learners at all levels. There is no doubt that time is now very short!!!
Is it not time to consider a home grown solution? SCHOLAR emanating from Heriot-Watt University in partnership with ADES has provided quality online Higher & Advanced Higher courses to Scottish schools for over 12 years. With its own learning platform, pioneering e-assessment system and tried and testing pedagogy, why is it that the US, Singapore and other countries have contacted SCHOLAR but we seem unable to recognise excellence in our own country.
Phillip – You make a good point. I have been prividged for the last 4.5 years to use Scotland as an example of good strategic thinking, foresight and practice. I have travelled to many countries and used the Glow exemplar in almost every situation. Recent development are less notable I think and has put at risk the concept of a nation al platform for learning, teaching and CPD for teachers. I think that Scotland did lead with its initiative of 7+ years ago and I also feel that the experiece of implementing and running Glow should have lead to some appreciation of the value of a country wide approach.
To me as an observer it seems that those in power have lost the plot and also have been persuaded to follow a strategy which is shallow and ill concieved. I think there have been too many twists and turns.
Initially things seemed to be on track with a planned procurement which was then abandoned and now we see a couple of last gasp attempts to recover the situation. I am so dissappointed to see the current state of play here – time is so short and to be honest, I worry that the out come of all this will be bad for Scotland and will certainly set things back…
Mean time Northern Ireland and Wales seem to be progressing with their own coherent strategy’s for a certrally funded solution.
Can this stuation be recovered and used enjoy a smooth transition to the next platform? As the days pass my doubts are glowing – opps – meant growing.