School software flags and reports kids who use "LGBTQ+ keywords"

[Ferguson97]

https://twitter.com/zackwhittaker/status/1450472724527263749

Disgusting violation of privacy

[DaleCooper]

Schools are basically prisons. Most people, and especially most parents, are fine with these types of surveillance-state technologies being used to police the students.

[GregTheGreat657]

IMO all people should be entitled to 4th amendment rights regardless of age. With how restrictive that cursed spyware is, I'm lucky I can still use this site on my school computer

[It’s so Joever]

Wait, people still believe in privacy?

[Damocles]

This school ought to be ashamed of themselves. Content filtering designed to prevent access to pornography and viruses shouldn't be used to harass LGBT children, especially not ones with homophobic parents. This should be flatly illegal.

[AGA]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

[Horus]

Wait, people still believe in privacy?

Decent people, yes.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

[Del Tachi]

Big non-story.  If you read the article or visit Gaggle's website, it's pretty obvious that the software works by only letting school administrators know when certain keywords, in any context, are searched or typed.  The fact that it doesn't actually track/record/share any of a minor person's actual search history or web activity is what keeps it FERPA-compliant.  It's an entirely appropriate solution to have implemented on school-managed devices.   

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The term "cyberpunk dystopia" is thrown around an awful lot these days, but when I compare this to my high school's analogous firewall from 2007, which was so clunky I couldn't research poets like John Gay or Anne Sexton for English class but which my teachers never would have dreamed of snitching to parents about, it's genuinely the phrase that comes to mind first.

[Badger]

Big non-story.  If you read the article or visit Gaggle's website, it's pretty obvious that the software works by only letting school administrators know when certain keywords, in any context, are searched or typed.  The fact that it doesn't actually track/record/share any of a minor person's actual search history or web activity is what keeps it FERPA-compliant.  It's an entirely appropriate solution to have implemented on school-managed devices.   

The school freaking outed a kid to his parents without even talking to him.

I'd ask if you have so sense of empathy whatsoever, but your posting history answers that.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Big non-story.  If you read the article or visit Gaggle's website, it's pretty obvious that the software works by only letting school administrators know when certain keywords, in any context, are searched or typed.  The fact that it doesn't actually track/record/share any of a minor person's actual search history or web activity is what keeps it FERPA-compliant.  It's an entirely appropriate solution to have implemented on school-managed devices.   

The school freaking outed a kid to his parents without even talking to him.

I'd ask if you have so sense of empathy whatsoever, but your posting history answers that.

I'd say it's pretty clear that Del Tachi does indeed empathize in this situation. With homophobic parents, busybody school administrators, and petty wielders of unchecked interpersonal authority in general.

[progressive85]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

Except that "LGBTQ" is nothing to be ashamed of, especially for today's 10 year olds, who are coming out earlier than ever.  If their straight classmates are talking about their 5th grade crushes, these boys and girls are talking about theirs.  It's not "personal stuff" - it could be a project for school, such as a research project for history.  Maybe for "Dress Up Like a Famous Person" day in the 5th grade, a boy comes in as Harvey Milk with a rainbow flag... I know in a local school district a boy had tried to come in dressed with a full Hitler outfit and I believe they sent him home but he still gave us the "Hitler hand gesture" to the class...

Kid wound up on America's Most Wanted years later.

[Del Tachi]

Big non-story.  If you read the article or visit Gaggle's website, it's pretty obvious that the software works by only letting school administrators know when certain keywords, in any context, are searched or typed.  The fact that it doesn't actually track/record/share any of a minor person's actual search history or web activity is what keeps it FERPA-compliant.  It's an entirely appropriate solution to have implemented on school-managed devices.   

The school freaking outed a kid to his parents without even talking to him.

I'd ask if you have so sense of empathy whatsoever, but your posting history answers that.

I'd say it's pretty clear that Del Tachi does indeed empathize in this situation. With homophobic parents, busybody school administrators, and petty wielders of unchecked interpersonal authority in general.

There's only one line about this "outing" in the article OP linked.  The only information is buried in a school newspaper article that provides absolutely no context about the alleged incident.  Salacious accusations demand real evidence; when such isn't presented (like in this case) it's irresponsible to make the kind of assumptions and innuendoes you do.

Nonetheless, schools have an obligation when providing students with adult tools to ensure that these tools are being used safely and appropriately.  Flagging searches for words like "gay" or "lesbian" for review is appropriate because these terms are inherently sexual. 

[Del Tachi]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

Kids aren't entitled to a computer?  and certainly not entitled to do whatever they like with one? 

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Flagging searches for words like "gay" or "lesbian" for review is appropriate because these terms are inherently sexual. 

Sexual in the sense of being related to sex, yes, as are words and phrases like "marriage" and "reproductive system" and "Nevada". Using the word here in a way that implies it's also meant in the sense of explicit or pornographic is scurrilous, dishonest implication-mongering of the lowest order. And I think you know that.

[Badger]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

Kids aren't entitled to a computer?  and certainly not entitled to do whatever they like with one? 

Imagine believing in 2021 that access to a computer in school is "entitlement ".

The Empathy Express just keeps right on trucking!

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

Kids aren't entitled to a computer?  and certainly not entitled to do whatever they like with one? 

Imagine believing in 2021 that access to a computer in school is "entitlement ".

The Empathy Express just keeps right on trucking!

Hey, at least most rightists now believe that children are entitled to some 'ore gruel if they ask the beadle for it most politely. Baby steps.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

Kids aren't entitled to a computer?  and certainly not entitled to do whatever they like with one? 

Do you think kids are “entitled” to know what being gay is?

[Del Tachi]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

Kids aren't entitled to a computer?  and certainly not entitled to do whatever they like with one? 

Do you think kids are “entitled” to know what being gay is?

What does this question even mean?  I didn't have to Google what "gay" was and I still turned out that way, lol

Kids aren't entitled to use school-provided equipment or resources to access potentially inappropriate or dangerous content, or any other content the school doesn't sanction for that matter. The Internet is an adult space.  Tracking and monitoring what students do online empowers parents to make choices for what is and is not appropriate for their children   

[ProudModerate2]

Big non-story.  If you read the article or visit Gaggle's website, it's pretty obvious that the software works by only letting school administrators know when certain keywords, in any context, are searched or typed.  The fact that it doesn't actually track/record/share any of a minor person's actual search history or web activity is what keeps it FERPA-compliant.  It's an entirely appropriate solution to have implemented on school-managed devices.   

The school freaking outed a kid to his parents without even talking to him.
I'd ask if you have so sense of empathy whatsoever, but your posting history answers that.

I'd say it's pretty clear that Del Tachi does indeed empathize in this situation. With homophobic parents, busybody school administrators, and petty wielders of unchecked interpersonal authority in general.

There's only one line about this "outing" in the article OP linked.  The only information is buried in a school newspaper article that provides absolutely no context about the alleged incident.  Salacious accusations demand real evidence; when such isn't presented (like in this case) it's irresponsible to make the kind of assumptions and innuendoes you do.

Nonetheless, schools have an obligation when providing students with adult tools to ensure that these tools are being used safely and appropriately.  Flagging searches for words like "gay" or "lesbian" for review is appropriate because these terms are inherently sexual. 

Didn't you tell Atlas you have a boy friend (you are gay)?
Why would the word "gay" be "inherently sexual"?

[Del Tachi]

Flagging searches for words like "gay" or "lesbian" for review is appropriate because these terms are inherently sexual. 

Sexual in the sense of being related to sex, yes, as are words and phrases like "marriage" and "reproductive system" and "Nevada". Using the word here in a way that implies it's also meant in the sense of explicit or pornographic is scurrilous, dishonest implication-mongering of the lowest order. And I think you know that.

The words "gay" and "lesbian" are two of the most commonly used terms in pornography searches, as well as commonly hurled as online insults that could be indicative of classroom bullying.  It is not the fault of the school that this is how these words are used in reality.

And you didn't address the point that this supposed "outing" of an LGBT student to his parents is most likely a fake story,  or at the very least one where no corroborating details have been established

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

This is why people shouldn't do personal stuff on school computers.

some kids have nothing else. I know some of them, and I lived in the richest school district in my county.

Kids aren't entitled to a computer?  and certainly not entitled to do whatever they like with one? 

Do you think kids are “entitled” to know what being gay is?

What does this question even mean?  I didn't have to Google what "gay" was and I still turned out that way, lol

Kids aren't entitled to use school-provided equipment or resources to access potentially inappropriate or dangerous content, or any other content the school doesn't sanction for that matter. The Internet is an adult space.  Tracking and monitoring what students do online empowers parents to make choices for what is and is not appropriate for their children   

Good for you. Some people are served by help from others.

What is with the redirecting towards “inappropriate or dangerous content” to justify censoring gay and lesbian topics? If it’s about porn, just censor “porn”.

[Del Tachi]

This school ought to be ashamed of themselves. Content filtering designed to prevent access to pornography and viruses shouldn't be used to harass LGBT children, especially not ones with homophobic parents. This should be flatly illegal.

What should be illegal?  Monitoring student's activity on district-managed devices or disclosing a student's sexual orientation to his parents? 

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

This school ought to be ashamed of themselves. Content filtering designed to prevent access to pornography and viruses shouldn't be used to harass LGBT children, especially not ones with homophobic parents. This should be flatly illegal.

What should be illegal?  Monitoring student's activity on district-managed devices or disclosing a student's sexual orientation to his parents?  

I think saying schools shouldn’t be allowed to disclose students’ sexual orientation to parents without their consent, which could get them kicked out of the house or worse, ought not to be a controversial take.