The new nationwide Google policy for people under eighteen years has recently begun in late April and early May of 2025.
Certain Google applications and other websites have been blocked on student accounts for those under the age of eighteen. The restrictions on websites consist of apps ranging from Google Translate to YouTube.
Skyline High School’s LMETS (Library Media Educational Technology Specialist) in the Media Center, Heidi Williams, talked about the new Google policy on students’ accounts.
Williams said, “It’s a great measure for students’ safety, and that’s one of our requirements: we have to do it for safety reasons. That’s why Google implemented it—for internet security and internet safety for anyone under the age of eighteen.” Google’s new policy has created restrictions for student accounts because of “inappropriate content” shown within some of its applications.
When Williams was interviewed for her opinion about the new restrictions set by Google, she mentioned, “I’m kinda frustrated by some of them, because I think it restricts […] what [students] are able to do and what teachers have been able to use before.”
Students at Skyline High School have definitely been missing certain Google applications as of late April and early May, especially Google Translate – specifically for the world language students. “Google Translate practically got me through Spanish class this year. Without it, I’d probably be failing. Luckily without signing into your student account you can still use it,” an anonymous student said.
Rob McDaniel, Skyline High School’s principal, shared the view that the new policy is a worthwhile safety measure. “Obviously it’s something that nationally and in the state of Utah, [is] a pretty big deal to make sure that things are more safe, especially the younger you are, so I think there’s probably good reasoning to do it,” he said.
He added that it’s possible there could be more age-related changes to programs in the future. Freshman may be “more affected because some of them will be, what, fourteen years old, and so my guess [is] that restrictions eventually will be even tighter for fourteen-year-olds compared to sixteen- or eighteen-year-olds.”
