I found a recent article about two kids from Illinois who, through their father, are suing Google for collecting “biometric data” from children, such as face scans and “voiceprints.” Apparently, Google is extracting data from kids using its classroom software tools, which are sometimes offered to students for free. There are schools all around the country that are supplied with Chromebook computers to allow kids to use or “rent out.” Many schools are even given free access to Google’s G-Suite applications for education. According to the article, the father of the kids who are the victims in this case is arguing that this collection of data is in violation of an Illinois law called the Information Privacy Act, which protects minors (under 13) from having data collected about them. This law is meant to protect children from being secretly profiled and monitored by giant and powerful companies such as Google.

Is giving out this private information a fair price to pay to Google for getting to use the G-Suite apps for free? Should kids really care if they are being monitored by Google? In my opinion, no. I don’t like how Google and other companies like Google can get away with unlawfully extracting this kind of personal information from people. I find it really creepy and unfair for them to take this data without people’s permission. Personally, I don’t feel that it affects me that much. I feel like our generation has grown up subconsciously knowing that everything we do online is monitored in some way. Ethically, I know it is wrong, but I try not to care about it because I feel that it’s inevitable. But to me, it is unquestionably immoral to be doing this to very young kids. More importantly, I wonder why they want this information, or how it helps them? This all reminds me of 1984 by George Orwell.

Works Cited: “Two children sue Google for allegedly collecting students’ biometric data” (https://www.cnet.com/news/two-children-sue-google-for-allegedly-collecting-students-biometric-data/