Google Earth blocked from Under 18

[Mark Rauscher]

I just tried to start a project for my students and my IT team says " Google has updated their access and Google Earth strictly falls in their under 18 policy."  And so my students are completely unable to even access Earth. This is very disappointing for an app that Google has promoted as an educational tool. 

Has anyone else run into this? Or is possibly anyone from Google on this group who can address it?

Also, does anyone have a suggestion for a free alternative for students to create placemarks and shapes on a map?

Thanks.

Mark Rauscher

[Thomas Hammerlund]

I also use Google Earth and this news really hit home. I saw the YouTube stuff and the Blogger stuff - but Earth too!?

Have you looked into Esri ArcGIS? They have a program where any school can get it free. It is really cool and it has more functionality than Earth, but a steeper learning curve.

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[Andrew Caffrey]

Hi Mark

Google Earth (and similarly Google My Maps, which is also great for putting placemarkers on maps) are additional services in Google Workspace (and always have been). It's down to an organisation to decide what to turn on and off in the admin console and I'm guessing for you and your students, your IT services have decided to turn it off. I don't know their reasons for this, but it would be entirely possible for another school to have it turned on and use them. 

On 1st September, Google changed the way it handles accounts for under 18 year olds (you can read about that here), so that there are some restrictions in place for users Under 18. In the case of Google Maps and Google Earth the following restrictions are in place:

If you turn on Google Maps and Google Earth, Google Workspace for Education users under the age of 18 can't:

• Access features that require payments
• Create public posts, such as comments and reviews
• Participate in Local Guides
• Turn on Location History for their Google Workspace for Education account
• Access Google Maps Timeline
• Share their location

If anything this is likely to make it easier for schools to get additional services, like Google Earth and Maps turned on - because some of the more sensitive features are now turned off for Under 18's.  

Hope that helps... 

Andy

	Andrew Caffrey CEO, Canopy 020 3048 4350

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At Canopy, we work flexibly on global programs across many time zones. While we look forward to your response, we do not expect a response outside of your own working hours.

[Mark Rauscher]

My IT dep't did turn it off based on this language:

As an Additional Service, Google Earth requires schools to obtain parent or guardian consent for any minor students they allow to use it. For more information on obtaining consent see this page of the Help Center.

They say that we would need to have parental consent for every single student in the district.  I really don't understand why Google is making this so difficult for schools.

-Mark Rauscher

[Andrew Caffrey]

I'm conscious this is a global group - the requirement to get consent comes down to National and Local Laws, when using software and online tools with students. I'm based in the United Kingdom, and in my last school, we had to get consent for Google Workspace, so the single letter had all the Core and Additional Services we used (things like Applied Digital Skills, MyMaps, Blogger and CS First are also additional services that we needed consent for). 

The same rules applied to ArcGIS from ESRI (I only used that with selected older students, studying A Level Geography) but again I had to get parental consent before we could create their accounts there. 

I'd get your IT Dept to add Google Earth and My Maps to their consent letters... 

Andy

	Andrew Caffrey CEO, Canopy 020 3048 4350

[Steve Smith]

Hi mark 

This is the case for all additional services eg Earth, YouTube, Bigger,  Arts and Culture etc. Does your school have an IT agreement parents sign on enrollment ? We just added a list of other services there. 

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