noyb has scored another win in its proceedings against Microsoft 365 Education: The Austrian data protection authority (DSB) has decided that the company illegally installed cookies on the devices of a pupil without consent. According to Microsoft’s own documentation, these cookies analyse user behaviour, collect browser data and are used for advertising. Microsoft now has four weeks to comply and cease the use of tracking cookies.
How about we simply use open source software in schools instead of supporting Microsoft in its virtual monopoly, spending unnecessary amounts of money on it and also exposing children to tracking?
It certainly wouldn’t hurt digital sovereignty in Europe and would at least show the next generation that there are alternatives. It has been known for years that Microsoft and Google want to get into schools to bind the next generation to their ecosystem.
(Of course this is still a „small“ win)
I believe right now there are discussions about it on Europe to adopt more FOSS projects. The biggest problems I see happening here is who effectively maintains this, as well who gives the money (and incentives) to keep the projects alive. As of now the German government does have a program for the incentives (do not recall if they do the people’s part). Hopefully it becomes more wide and clear how this will be going forward.
Also, I do not think it would be such a small win. If anything is very significant. If you can change at that stage the tools used, eventually propagates further into the working force at some point.
Yet to read the article, but I hope it gets enforced. I grow tired of seeing laws and proper judicial decisions not being enforced or being done so at the convenience of those interested.
Nice. Then fine the fuckers till the fuckers ain’t fine.
Why aren’t there harsher penalties for behavior like this? They’re given 4 weeks to comply, and then all is fine as long as they stop? Seems like the message they’re sending is “you can track our kids, just be more careful not to get caught next time… If you do, you can at least rest assured that there’s no real punishment”
