New controls for administrators

We’ve added more features in Google Workspace for Education to create a safer learning experience. Now available, context-aware access improvements will help admins control who is accessing which apps in an organization, and when. AI-powered spam view in Google Drive makes it easier to separate and review your files, decide what you might view as spam and stay safe from potentially unwanted or abusive content. And coming soon, app badges will help you make more informed decisions about third-party app access for your users.

On Chromebooks, admins now have more data controls in Google Admin console to prevent access to and from websites. Users will also soon be able to toggle the camera and mic off in their own settings. Our app developer partners like GoGuardian provide additional controls within Workspace and ChromeOS, enabling admins and schools to individualize privacy settings at classroom and student levels. To make the most of all of these tools, we recently authored a K-12 Cybersecurity Guidebook to help admins better protect schools from threats.

For schools that want even more control over how their data is processed, we will begin to offer data processor mode for managed ChromeOS devices. This gives customers the option to shift Google’s primary role from that of a data controller to a data processor. Available today in the Netherlands, following our partnership with the Dutch government and education sector, we plan to make data processor mode available to more European countries from 2024 onwards.

Alongside this new mode, we are also launching a new set of tools to help customers more easily fulfill their privacy obligations (e.g. Data Subject Access Requests), and achieve greater insight into, and control over, the data processed by Google.

Admins will find this mode and additional controls in the compliance center in Google Admin console. It’s up to customers to decide whether they prefer Google to act primarily as a data controller or data processor, depending upon what works best for them.

Lastly, and in line with our commitment noted in this blog post, this week we began rolling out our new Service Data Addendum (SDA) globally for eligible customers that want more control over their Service Data when they use Google Workspace for Education. The SDA includes new contractual privacy commitments for Service Data that align with the commitments we already offer for Customer Data. Learn more on our support page.