That one person trying to start a GoGuardian hate thread here earlier has got me thinking about monitoring software in places such as work and schools.

For those not in the know, GoGuardian gives teachers the ability to link any student device into a classroom group, where they can remotely open and close tabs, block off web browser access, start video streams that you aren't able to close, among other things. It can do this on both Windows and ChromeOS computers so long as the GoGuardian app is installed on both computers. I know there's another one that runs as a chrome addon that can capture Chromebook session metadeta but I can't recall the name.

A lot of students grumble about this sort of thing and I can understand why, though I think schools have a duty to keep kids from being able to view the naughty on school devices during school hours. But the flippant use of “spyware” has me wondering where the line between monitoring software and actual, real spyware ends and begins. Thoughts?

anything labeling itself as “monitoring software” is spyware plain and simple

When it's not labeled “monitoring software.” Or when it's on a personal device that actually belongs to someone who didn't agree to it. Real spyware is usually for the financial gain of its author, right?

Jonathan50 wrote:

Real spyware is usually for the financial gain of its author, right?

Yes, like Google Chrome.

Jonathan50 wrote:

Real spyware is usually for the financial gain of its author, right?

Do you not think redrawing the whole browser screen from the page source because it doesn't have permission to record the screen is a spyware behavior?

ScolderCreations wrote:

Yes, like Google Chrome.

Fair enough.

kccuber wrote:

Do you not think redrawing the whole browser screen from the page source because it doesn't have permission to record the screen is a spyware behavior?

Being so intrusive is impractical. Is somebody watching the whole time? Filtering would almost certainly be a better solution, and acceptable if the device is school property.

Depends on how you define spyware.

Merriam Webster wrote:

computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent.

With this definition, GoGuardian would NOT be spyware because students know that they're being monitored. I personally consider spyware to be spyware when it crosses legal lines.

SansStudios wrote:

(#7)
Depends on how you define spyware.

Merriam Webster wrote:

computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent.

With this definition, GoGuardian would NOT be spyware because students know that they're being monitored. I personally consider spyware to be spyware when it crosses legal lines.

But what about consent? I'm sure most students would not agree to GoGuardian, though their opinions usually don't matter in those situations.

NFlex23 wrote:

I'm sure most students would not agree to GoGuardian

Why would the students have the ability to disagree with the monitor? It's like students being able to decide if they do the math test or not? They have to do it

god286 wrote:

(#9)

NFlex23 wrote:

I'm sure most students would not agree to GoGuardian

Why would the students have the ability to disagree with the monitor? It's like students being able to decide if they do the math test or not? They have to do it

True, but by SansStudios's post, spyware is "computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent."

NFlex23 wrote:

god286 wrote:

(#9)

NFlex23 wrote:

I'm sure most students would not agree to GoGuardian

Why would the students have the ability to disagree with the monitor? It's like students being able to decide if they do the math test or not? They have to do it

True, but by SansStudios's post, spyware is "computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent."

If those are school devices they can install whatever they want right?

NFlex23 wrote:

(#10)

god286 wrote:

(#9)

NFlex23 wrote:

I'm sure most students would not agree to GoGuardian

Why would the students have the ability to disagree with the monitor? It's like students being able to decide if they do the math test or not? They have to do it

True, but by SansStudios's post, spyware is "computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent."

At that point, go to a different school.

Jonathan50 wrote:

When it's not labeled “monitoring software.” Or when it's on a personal device that actually belongs to someone who didn't agree to it. Real spyware is usually for the financial gain of its author, right?

Yeah or to see their personal information to do whatever like hack them or something

I've heard about this court case where a school literally SPIED on students while they were in their homes. It's much more extreme than GoGuardian and definitely spyware. However more tame versions are hard to tell. My school uses something called NetRef and it's basically just moderation, something like the ST.

There is definitely no fine line between monitoring software vs spyware if it doesn't explicitly say so. It's like removing grains from a pile of sand, when does it become a non-heap? Using this example, when is adding more security features to monitoring software define it as spyware?

offtopic: for the reason of the sand heap I will never think become a court judge

I'm not sure if GoGuardian (or programs like it) would be considered spyware if the computer is owned by the school district and not by the individual student.

ajsya wrote:

I'm not sure if GoGuardian (or programs like it) would be considered spyware if the computer is owned by the school district and not by the individual student.

Then again signing into your school google account in a personal chromebook would add goguardian.

kccuber wrote:

Then again signing into your school google account in a personal chromebook would add goguardian.

Install something other than ChromeOS… or don't get a Chromebook.

Jonathan50 wrote:

kccuber wrote:

Then again signing into your school google account in a personal chromebook would add goguardian.

Install something other than ChromeOS… or don't get a Chromebook.

last time I tried, Chrome for non-ChromeOS platforms (or at least Windows) also installs extensions when signing into a Google Account.

dhuls wrote:

last time I tried, Chrome for non-ChromeOS platforms (or at least Windows) also installs extensions when signing into a Google Account.

OK, if the extension doesn't require ChromeOS, don't use Chrome. Actually, don't use Chrome anyway. (If you still wanted to, you could use a second browser just for your school Google account.)

NFlex23 wrote:

Merriam Webster wrote:

computer software that obtains information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent.

But what about consent? I'm sure most students would not agree to GoGuardian, though their opinions usually don't matter in those situations.

From a U.S. perspective, students have weird rights, especially those in private schools.

The 4th and 5th amendment don't fully apply in many private schools. Private schools use contract law. These schools can conduct searches without warrants. This is extended virtually, allowing schools to take tech devices and punish you for not unlocking them (which doesn't mean you legally have to unlock them).

Public school students are protected by district, state, and federal laws. This makes forcing students to install always-monitoring spyware-like software much harder.

Of course, this is just from a U.S. perspective. I would be interested in the legality and search+seizure laws in other countries

Also, I'm not a lawyer, and this is NOT law advice!