My school district has blocked Google Earth because of possible inappropriate content. HELP!!!

[Bonnie Hickman]

My school district has blocked Google Earth because of possible inappropriate content. HELP!!! 3 Replies 0 Upvotes

FROM MY I.T. Dept- , at this time, you would need to show them your content on Google Earth from your device, and they would not be able to conduct any Google Earth searches on their own on the Chromebooks. We are continuing to investigate how we can make this safe for students, as the content is not easily filterable on Google Earth. Images and content (reviews, photos) can be quite inappropriate for students. We have done lots of testing in student accounts and there is too much coming through right now."

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[Emily Henderson]

Hi Bonnie,

I am so sorry to read that your district blocked Google Earth, but I can assure you that Google works diligently to keep people safe both online and offline. Was there any content that the IT Dept. can specifically point to as a cause for concern? And is the department familiar with the tool? For example, Google Earth doesn't actually surface any Google Maps reviews and only brings up place based information derived from a 'Safe Search' web index, so I am curious what additional controls or censorship is required.

All of the imagery and information surfaced on Google Earth has been vetted through a series of moderation, and the Voyager stories are intentionally curated by our internal and external partners. However, if you believe you have run across something inappropriate while exploring Google Earth, it's possible to report the issue through the “Feedback” button found under the Menu of Google Earth. Furthermore, if any Street View image or user-submitted photo in Google Earth is found to have inappropriate content, any user may “Report a Problem” (via a link in the lower-right corner), and request to have the image blurred or removed. 

I would also like to note, in compliance with COPPA and GDPR, Google Earth does not surface any consumer reviews, ads, or marketing materials on the platform. Google Earth solely applies information about our users to provide and improve the service. The G Suite for Education Privacy Notice provides more detail on how Google collects and uses information when you use Google services, including Earth, with a G Suite for Education account.'

Lastly, we are very sensitive to the policies that schools face when working with minors and simply protecting kids from content that might be too mature for them - it's up to every organization, educator, and parent to decide what technology to introduce into their kids' lives. If your I.T Dept won't unlock Earth for all the students, I recommend asking for educators/adults access - Google Earth is an incredible teaching tool and can be used in a presentation/demo format without the hands-on experience and use of creation tools.

Kind regards - and thank you so much for using Google Earth in the Classroom!

Emily