Why gogaurdian is unethical and schools should not use it
The use of the controversial monitoring software, Goguardian, in schools has become increasingly popular in recent years. Goguardian is a software that allows administrators to monitor students’ online activity, including websites they visit, emails they send, and even the content of their social media posts. While this software has been shilled as a way to protect students from cyberbullying, child predators, and other online dangers, it has also been criticized for its unethical practices and violations of students’ privacy.
Intrusive monitoring policy
First of all, Goguardian’s monitoring practices are highly intrusive. By monitoring students’ online activity, the software essentially takes away their privacy and autonomy. Students may feel that they are constantly being watched, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and paranoia. Additionally, Goguardian’s monitoring practices may also lead to a “chilling effect” on students’ free speech, as they may be afraid to express themselves online for fear of being monitored.
Student privacy
Furthermore, Goguardian’s monitoring practices may also be in violation of students’ privacy rights. The software is able to access and monitor students’ personal emails, social media posts, and other online activity, which may be in violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Additionally, Goguardian’s monitoring practices may also be in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Ineffectiveness
Finally, Goguardian’s monitoring practices are not only unethical, but they are also ineffective. Studies have shown that monitoring students’ online activity does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. In fact, it may even have the opposite effect, as it can lead to decreased engagement and motivation.
Subversion
Another reason that gogaurdian is inneffective is that it can be easily disabled by manipulating the manifest.json file of the extension. Here's how
- Create a bookmark for the manifest.json page of the GoGaurdian extension. Title the bookmark A
- Create a bookmark of chrome://kill, title this bookmark B
- Create a bookmark of chrome://hang, title this bookmark C
Go to the manifest.json page, click on B, immediatly reload the page, and then spam click C
Then try going to a site like discord or netflix if the site doesn't load at all, visit chrome://restart which will restart your device without signing out
conclusion
Overall, Goguardian’s monitoring practices are highly unethical and schools should not use it. The software’s intrusive nature violates students’ privacy rights and can lead to a “chilling effect” on students’ free speech. Additionally, Goguardian’s monitoring practices are not only unethical, but also ineffective. For these reasons, schools should not use Goguardian and should look for other ways to protect students from online dangers.