News about the use of Google Classroom in Denmark

[Carsten Agger]

In August, the Danish data protection agency banned the use of Google's 
products in the municipality of Helsingør.

If this ban is upheld, the use of Google Classroom in 40+ municipalities 
will be illegal.

The agency has allowed Helsingør to continue using the product until 
supplying further information in January, since postponed some times.

Now, the interest organization "KL - Local Government in Denmark"[1] are 
arguing[2] that if Google's say that they need students' personal data 
to "enhance" the product and "innovate" it, then the Danish 
municipalities should provide that data.

These data, that Google may use to "enhance" its product includes IP 
address, email address, location, passwords, metadata, bookmarks, and 
... files created by the students.

In the article in the medium Radar I refer to (i.e. [2]) a professor of 
administrative law argues that this is probably against the Danish 
school law. I also imagine it must violate the GDPR, but IANAL.

But basically, Google are taking the municipalities hostage (who, I 
might add, have bought *individually* from Google - they haven't 
negotiateed as a block) by claiming that they *need* that data to 
operate - a claim that must certainly be false.

Best
Carsten


[1]: https://www.kl.dk/english/

[2]: 
https://radarmedia.dk/eksperter-kommuners-nye-argumenter-i-chromebook-sag-er-paa-kant-med-folkeskoleloven/