The General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is the basis of Europe’s digital privacy legislation which went into effect on 25th March 2018. It basically governs how businesses and organizations that operate in Europe gather, use, and keep personal information. So is Google Workspace for Education GDPR compliant? If you’re a regular user, you might be curious to know!
Is Google Workspace for Education GDPR Compliant?
Nowadays, most of us are well acquainted with Google Workspace for Education. It is an extremely handy collection of Google services and tools that are designed to help schools and homeschools communicate, streamline education, and keep learning safe and secure. But is it GDPR compliant?
Similar to almost every other software out there, it isn’t when it’s just out of the box. However, users can make it compliant with GDPR. Users have the responsibility for establishing and maintaining its compliance.
According to Google Workplace for Education, their Data Processing Amendment is meant to fulfill all of GDPR’s adequacy and security criteria. Their model contract provisions were European Commission produced to allow the transfer of personal data and information outside of Europe. However, both the model contract terms and Data Processing Amendment are optional for users.
How Can You Make Google Workspace for Education GDPR Compliant?
As we have already covered, Google Workspace for Education offers its users model contract clauses and the Data Processing Amendment (DPA) to comply with the GDPR. However, its users have the final call to accept these amendments and be GDPR compliant when using their tools and services.
Here’s how users can accept the DPA and model contract clauses in Google Workspace for Education –
Review and Accept the Data Processing Amendment (DPA)
Step 1: Log in to your Google Admin Interface. Make sure you are using a super administrator account.
Step 2: Go to “Account”, then “Account Settings” and then find “Legal and compliance” from the Admin console Home Page.
Step 3: In “Security and Privacy Additional Terms”, click “Review and Accept”. Choose between the EU Model Contract clauses for either the Google Workspace for Education or Cloud Identity.
Step 4: Make sure you or the appropriate person in your organization goes over the contract provisions.
Step 5: You or someone appropriate from your organization should go over the contract provisions.
Step 6: Choose “I Accept” and finish.
Review and Accept the Model Contract Clauses
Step 1: Log in to your Google Admin Interface. Again, you need to use an account with super administrator privileges.
Step 2: Find “Legal and compliance” from the Admin console Home Page.
Step 3: To see this, you may need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and select "Show More."
Step 4: In “Security and Privacy Additional Terms”, you will find the option to “Review and Accept” under Data Processing Amendment to Google Workspace or/and any other complementary product.
Step 5: You or an appropriate person in your organization must go over the contract provisions.
Step 6: Click “I Accept” to finish.
Why Is It Important to Make Google Workspace for Education Compliant with GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation or in short, GDPR, intends to strengthen the protection of personal data throughout Europe. Its impact far surpasses the boundaries of Europe and has a huge influence over organizations all over the world. To secure personal data, GDPR compliance is critical. If an organization is based in Europe, it will need to comply with the GDPR.
However, an organization in America or anywhere else that serves European customers needs to comply with it. Those who do to comply may be subject to authorized penalties, which may quickly accumulate and become substantial. In short, you need to ensure that your organization is GDPR compliant to avoid penalties and legal action.
Then again, none of us want to put our personal information to any sort of unfair use either. As most of us need to use Google Workspace for Education now more than ever due to the pandemic, it’s important to make sure our personal data is safe. This makes its compliance with GDPR quite important as well.
Now you should know how to make your Google Workspace for Education compliant with GDPR. However, if you are still worried about your student’s internet safety while using its tools and services, you can check out Safe doc, a handy tool that protects your students from misusing any unnecessary tools for sharing dangerous content.
Conclusion
Due to the pandemic, most of us use Google Workspace for Education almost regularly. While using its handy tools and services, you may have wondered “Is Google Workspace for Education GDPR Compliant?”
In this article, we explore the topic and find out how you can make it GDPR compliant. I hope the article was helpful. Thanks for reading till now.
