How can I manage Chrome extensions safely in schools?

Just a heads up, extensions act like apps with a pretty high level of access. They can read cookies and even emails, which is a risk for schools if we let just any random extension run. So definitely think carefully before whitelisting any!

If your school uses Google Workspace for Education, you can manage extensions through the Google Admin console. You'll have control over adding restrictions for users. This is good to set up, but be aware that it might increase the number of requests from teachers looking to use certain extensions.

Also, if you're struggling with what extensions to allow, consider bringing in a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to help. They can conduct a risk analysis based on reviews and privacy policies of the extensions. I've had experience with this in a school before, and it can really help in making informed decisions about what to allow.

If you're not already, definitely try reaching out on forums like r/k12sysadmin. You might find others who have already created a good list of safe extensions or know of resources for validating them!

You might want to check out the Group Policy in the Google Admin console. It lets you manage which extensions can be installed by either blocking all of them or allowing specific ones based on their IDs. This way, you can ensure teachers only get access to safe ones! Just remember that you still need a way to evaluate the privacy and security of the extensions before whitelisting them.