Google has been "deceptively" collecting and mining school children's personal information, including their Internet searches, according to The Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, the EFF alleges that the "Sync" feature of Google's Chrome Web browser is enabled by default on Chromebooks sold to schools, allowing the Web giant to track and store on its servers "records of every Internet site students visit, every search term they use, the results they click on, videos they look for and watch on YouTube, and their saved passwords." While Google does not use this information for targeted advertising, the Web giant can mine the data for "non-advertising purposes," the group said.

And there's a good chance parents don't know about — and can't prevent — this data collection, since Google doesn't obtain permission from students and their parents, and some schools require students to use Chromebooks, the EFF says.

The group also claims these data-collection practices violate the Student Privacy Pledge, a legally enforceable document Google and other companies signed promising to refrain from collecting, using, or sharing students' personal information except when needed for legitimate educational purposes, or with parental permission.

The EFF further alleges that the admin settings Google provides to schools allow student's personal information to be shared with third-party websites, another violation of the Student Privacy Pledge.

Google, however, sees things differently. "Our services enable students everywhere to learn and keep their information private and secure," a Google spokesperson told PCMag. "While we appreciate EFF's focus on student privacy, we are confident that these tools comply with both the law and our promises, including the Student Privacy Pledge."

Even so, Google reportedly told the EFF it would soon disable the setting on school Chromebooks that allows Chrome Sync data to be shared with other Google services. The EFF says this solution is a "step in the right direction" but "doesn't go nearly far enough to correct the violations" in Chromebooks currently being distributed to and used in schools.

"Despite publicly promising not to, Google mines students' browsing data and other information, and uses it for the company's own purposes," EFF Staff Attorney Nate Cardozo said in a statement. "Making such promises and failing to live up to them is a violation of FTC rules against unfair and deceptive business practices. Minors shouldn't be tracked or used as guinea pigs, with their data treated as a profit center. If Google wants to use students' data to 'improve Google products,' then it needs to get express consent from parents."

In response, the Future of Privacy Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, defended Google, though it should be noted that Keith Enright, Google's senior corporate counsel, sits on the Future of Privacy Forum's advisory board.

"We have reviewed the EFF complaint but do not believe it has merit," wrote Jules Polonetsky, the executive director of the Future of Privacy Forum. "We understand that any data collected is not used for behavioral advertising and all other data uses are aggregated and anonymous. The Chrome Sync setting is a general feature of all Chromebooks, whether purchased by schools or the general public. We don't believe the complaint raises any issues about data use that are restricted by the Student Privacy Pledge."

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