So, here's my dilemma. I recently logged into my high school's email on my personal phone, which uses DuoAuthentication and ClassLink. During that process, I discovered that Safe Search was activated—something I didn't do myself, but it seems it was enforced by the school or organization. Even after logging out, Safe Search remained in effect until I cleared my search history completely. This has me really worried, especially considering what my teacher mentioned regarding an automatic system that highlights certain buzzwords and reports them to IT, who then informs the teacher. He suggested this only applies to school-issued Chromebooks, but now I'm not so sure. They might even be able to see what I type in real-time. I've had some sensitive tabs open, like those discussing sexual trauma and other heavy topics, as well as some not-so-appropriate content. I'm really anxious about this getting out—especially to my parents or school authorities. Is there any way the school could actually see my browsing history or the content of my documents, even if I'm on my personal phone? Oh, and just to clarify, this wasn't through a Google profile, and I use Safari, not in incognito mode.
5 Answers
You've got to be careful—never log into work accounts on personal devices if you can help it. If you do, try using sandboxes like Flatpak or Virtual Machines where school tracking can't reach.
Honestly, why would you log into anything school related on your personal phone?
You're probably fine! The IT department gets tons of flagged words every day and they usually focus only on repeat offenders. I really doubt they're tracking everyone. Just take a breath and relax!
That's a relief to hear! My main concern was that I had a lot of tabs open—like 450—so there might have been some buzzwords in there. Thanks for easing my mind!
Why not just use a different browser that you think they might not track? And if your school has their own network, just avoid doing any searches on that connection.
Another option could be getting a burner phone; they're pretty cheap and can keep your personal data separate.
Good call! Since the school gave out Chromebooks, using another non-Chrome browser might help.
As someone in school IT, I can say they definitely aren't tracking personal devices. The legal trouble they'd be in would be huge! You're good, don’t sweat it.
Thank you, that really helps! Do you know why the Safe Search might have turned on when I logged into my email? Just curious, but I'm already feeling a lot better!
I know, it was a mistake! I've been homeschooled for a while and didn’t think about the risks. I just wanted to get good advice but I get it.