theguardian.com,
Fri 09/30:
The Trevor Project teams up with a student surveillance company accused of LGBTQ+ bias
Amid warnings from lawmakers and civil rights groups that digital surveillance tools could discriminate against at-risk students, a leading nonprofit devoted to the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth has formed a financial partnership with a tech company that subjects them to persistent online monitoring. LGBTQ+ youth are among the most vulnerable to the misuse of this kind of safety monitoring the Trevor Project
Both groups maintain that the partnership was forged in the interests of LGBTQ+ students, but student privacy advocates argue the relationship could undermine the Trevor Project’s work while allowing Gaggle to use the relationship to counter criticism about its potential harms to LGBTQ+ students. Minneapolis student Teeth Logsdon-Wallace, who was flagged by Gaggle software, poses with his dog Gilly. Among the keywords is “gay” and “lesbian”, words the company maintains are necessary to flag because LGBTQ+ youth are more likely than their straight and cisgender peers to consider suicide. “It’s true that LGBTQ+ youth are among the most vulnerable to the misuse of this kind of safety monitoring – many worry that these tools could out them to teachers or parents against their will,” the statement continued. “ But their approaches to solving the problem, she said, are fundamentally different. By combing through digital materials on students’ school-issued Microsoft and Google accounts, Gaggle seeks to alert educators – and in some cases the police – of students’ online behaviors that suggest they might harm themselves or others. Gaggle, founded in 1999, does not publicly report its finances. ‘A dangerous situation’
In interviews, students flagged by Gaggle said their trust in adults suffered as a result. And while his parents are affirming, he has friends who live in less supportive environments. Given that reality, just 43% of LGBTQ+ youth reported sharing information about their sexual orientation with teachers or guidance counselors.
Read full article here:
theguardian.com/../trevor-project-gaggle..
(warning: ads & trackers)
This news aggregator is non-commercial and provided
as a public service by the Magnusson Institute,
a Nevada 501(c)(3) non-profit. All articles
and images are copyright of their respective
copyright owners.