Gaggle student behavioural monitoring

Gaggle develops and sells software that monitors students.

Founded in 1999, Gaggle uses a combination of AI and human reviewers to police schools for suspicious and harmful content in order to prevent violence and student suicides by monitoring student email accounts, documents, and social media accounts. 

Risks and harms 🛑

Gaggle has been associated with multiple risks and harms, including the misinterpretation of context, privacy violations, and psychological damage. 

Transparency and openness 🙈

Reports suggest Gaggle's systems have not been independently reviewed or audited.

Investigations, assessments, audits 🧐

• The 74. Exclusive Data: An Inside Look at the Spy Tech That Followed Kids Home for Remote Learning — and Now Won’t Leave

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.edweek.org/leadership/schools-are-deploying-massive-digital-surveillance-systems-the-results-are-alarming/2019/05

• https://eu.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/franklin/2019/09/26/williamson-county-schools-gaggle-safety-management-platform/2431029001/

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/22/school-student-surveillance-bark-gaggle

• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolinehaskins1/gaggle-school-surveillance-technology-education

• https://www.inklingsnews.com/opinions/2021/03/10/gaggle-monitors-student-online-behavior-threatens-student-privacy/

• https://www.the74million.org/article/democratic-lawmakers-demand-student-surveillance-companies-outline-business-practices-warn-the-security-tools-may-compound-risk-of-harm-for-students/

• https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/12/school-surveillance-dragnet-suicide-attempt-healing