1. a) What is the EFF? What is it’s purpose/goal/mission?
b) What is the Student Privacy Pledge?

2. What is the role of the FTC?

3. a) What did the EFF initially ask the FTC to do?
b) Why did the EFF make this request? Be specific.

4. a) How did Google respond to the EFF’s allegation?
b) What do you think this response shows about the EFF’s allegation? (unfounded? legitimate?) Explain your answer.

5. a) Why isn’t the EFF satisfied with Google changing the sync settings? Be specific.
b) What did they ask the FTC to do?

6. a) The Future of Privacy Forum, which created the Student Privacy Pledge, said Google was not violating the Student Privacy Pledge because it used aggregated and anonymized data. “Anonymous information uses are not covered by the pledge or any other laws around student data,” Jules Polonetsky, co-chair of the Future of Privacy Forum said. What motive might the FPF have for not opposing Google?
b) How did the EFF counter the FPF’s assertion?

7. a) Define aggregated and anonymized.
b) Why do you think people would be concerned even if Google uses aggregated and anonymized data?

8. a) Would you oppose Google gathering this information on you?
b) As a student, do you trust Google when they say they use aggregated and anonymized data? Explain your answer.
c) Ask a parent if they are concerned about your privacy online. Discuss your answers.

OPTIONAL: Read the following comments from readers to the WSJ article. With which do you agree/disagree?

• GaryDMN wrote: "It's Google's business model. They do not sell computers or software, they give users access to their open source software for the right to track the user. You can't get a Google account without agreeing to be tracked. That's where Google gets it's revenue, billions a month from selling ads, based on their tracking. If schools don't like it, they can get the open source software free, but would need to support it. People BELIEVE Google provides FREE service, but there is a string attached, tracking."
• JonD wrote: "Gary, as with all things in life, too much of one thing, is good for nothing. This is not you or me deciding to go online despite all the other choices and using Google to search, in which case, we elect to be tracked (I guess). This is Google basically scamming its way into schools because they want to leave no stones unturned in their quest to make sure they get as many people as possible into their trap, while being able to track all aspect of their lives. So your 7 year old is being tracked at school, at home, on his Android phone and Google never gets rid of that data (which raises a why in and of itself). Is that right? Long and short, they did agree not to track kids and sure enough, just like they found a sneaky way to spy on iPhone users b4 Apple caught on, they know they always have a workaround against those trying to thwart their evil plans. I feel sorry for those using Nest products and if it makes it out of the lab, can't wait for their diabetes monitoring contacts. Go expose all your health and other issues to an evil information marketing company. Makes sense."
• Jason wrote: "That's why I'm switching my school's computer default search engine to DuckDuckGo. Google uses way too many things, such as cookies, to track people."
• Webster wrote: "This is not news. Everyone in Edtech has known about this for years. People and vendors (like Microsoft) raised this alarm again and again but the answer from the schools (and from the parents) was "it's free", "everyone is doing it" and/or "they're Google. They'll fix it." Schools are extremely protective of their students and demand incredible privacy and security from any vendors the pay. However, if it is free, these requirements are instantly overlooked. Parents sending their kids to any school should ask them for their privacy commitment. How much is Google expecting to earn off one student over a lifetime? They have a number and it is certainly more than the few dollars that it would cost a school to buy a private service."