Mississippi sues Google, saying it violates student privacy

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Mississippi sues Google, saying it violates student privacy
Jeff Amy, Associated Press Updated 5:57 pm, Tuesday, January 17, 2017


JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's Democratic attorney general is once again tangling with Google, alleging in a lawsuit that the company is illegally violating student privacy, even as some Republicans seek to muzzle his ability to file such civil suits.

Attorney General Jim Hood sued the California-based computer giant Friday in Lowndes County Chancery Court. In a news conference Tuesday, Hood said Google is breaking Mississippi consumer protection law by selling ads using data from services it provides to schools.

"They're building a profile so they can advertise to them," Hood said. "They expressly stated in writing that they would not do that."

Google did not immediately respond Tuesday to an email from The Associated Press inquiring about the lawsuit.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Bill-Attorney-general-must-get-OK-for-suits-10862669.php

[Lithos]

1. *sigh*

Another politician who does not get technology. Google does not share the privacy of the user, but rather serves as the broker who presents ads based on the search behavior of the user. No information is leaked out of Google unless the user opts to click off the search page on the ad.

That said, a counter argument can be made Mississippi schools are failing to properly prevent the acceptance of tracking cookies and insuring the actual history is properly cleared.

L-

On Edit: Google's best response would be to launch a program with Mississippi schools that the bad press of such a move outweighs the one time hit this lawsuit generates.

And yes, I know he's a Democrat. I'm not agreeing with the Republicans in trying to lock down his capabilities as I think it is likely counter-productive, just that he's not building bridges that will last.

[ManiacJoe]

2. Hood may lose this one if the article is accurate.

I place no faith in the accuracy of the article....

Hood said a test involving a student account from the state-run Mississippi School of Math and Science in Columbus showed ads targeted to previous searches

Internet searches are not a service provided to any one party by contract. They are free to the public, and everyone knows the internet searches are mined for data.

[Lithos]

3. Agreed

And Google does not share this history (i.e., there is no privacy leakage). Google is the broker as the user gets a free service which is paid for by the ad server.

L-

[Tactical Peek]

5. Might depend on "the K-12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy".

In 2015, Google signed the K-12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy. By signing the pledge, Google promised, among other things, to “not collect, maintain, use or share student personal information beyond that needed for authorized educational/school purposes, or as authorized by the parent/student” and to “disclose clearly in contracts or privacy policies, including in a manner easy for parents to understand, what types of student personal information we collect, if any, and the purposes for which the information we maintain is used or shared with third parties.”

The lawsuit alleges that Google fails to live up to its pledge and does not properly disclose the types of information it collects, maintains and uses, as well as whether and how that information is shared with third parties.

. . . “I have a duty to protect the rights and interests of all Mississippians,” the Attorney General said in a letter to school superintendents. “This includes holding Google accountable for any misrepresentations it has made regarding GSFE users’ private information that it processes, collects stores and uses for its own financial gain, and seeking a court order requiring Google to cease any unlawful practices.”

http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/34279715/attorney-general-discuss-mississippi-public-school-litigation


-----

But howsomever, IANAL.

[silverweb]

4. Sounds like someone should pick his battles better.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Mississippi has a lot more and much bigger problems than students seeing internet ads based on their browsing history.