A lot of students have this question: can colleges keep a track of my search history when I am at home? Students often get paranoid while coming across such things. How can my college or the school view my search history when I am online? If you are using your wifi out of the college campus sitting at your home and not surfing anything through your college account then there is no way they can get access to your search history. The answer to this question would be a yes. Let’s start with Can Colleges See Your Search History At Home?
The colleges can only have access to your search history till you use the school account. If you are using a school device that is provided to you then definitely there is a possibility that they can keep an eye on your activities including your search history.
Do The Colleges Keep A Check On Your Search History?
The college-issued devices can check your search history and they even have full control over it. If your college has provided you with a device, they have the right to check if the device is being used for its intended purpose only and not for any inappropriate purposes.
How Does It Work?
When you are working at your college with your device, then there is a little chance of them peeking into your stuff, but it is still possible. Once you reach home and use your wifi, then the chances become negligible.
Also, if you are sitting at home and are logged in with your college ID, the authorities will be able to view your activity and check your internet history. However, once you log out of your college ID, they will no longer be able to access your internet information.
Offline Activities On Your Chromebook
A college can keep a check on your Chromebook when you are online at home because it is a college-issued device, but can they see what you are doing offline as well? Yes, everything you do while sitting at home on a managed device is visible and you have no scope of privacy.
Students often think that running offline activities like transferring data from a file or watching any videos installed on their device cannot be seen by the college, but it’s not true. They can keep an eye on everything you do on your device issued by them.
Can They See My Activities If I Am Connected To A VPN?
It’s true that VPNs encrypt all internet traffic and hide your history from your ISP. However, if you are outside the college campus and at home, surfing on the college device while using a VPN, they will know that you are using a VPN, which is again inappropriate for them if they are checking your device and what you are doing on it.
So, using a VPN will not let you hide from the college because you will not be able to hide that you are using a VPN. However, using your device is a different case. But also, if you are logged in through the college email on your device, then they can also get notified that you are using a VPN to hide your internet surfing.
However, if you do not log in through the college email, then they will not get a notification that you are using a VPN to hide your internet surfing.
Is This Necessary Or Objectionable?
A school may provide you with a device to perform a specific task and get managed by them. So, whatever you do on that device, they can keep a check on it. There should be no issue because a college-issued device is meant for specific tasks only and for the work that you have to do related to your college.
However, students do object that a college should not keep a complete record of whatever they do online or offline, whether using the device or using college email. But the colleges think there is nothing wrong with it to run the school administration. These things are necessary.
Why Is It Necessary?
The schools manage the devices to conduct their tasks efficiently, like student assessments. While taking a class test, sitting at home on a managed device will let the college administration smoothly conduct the assessment without any cheating.
Also, the college may give guidelines mentioning that the student can attend the exam with a personal device but has to log in through the college email. So, the college can also check whether the student is doing any fraudulent activity while attending the test.
Conclusion
In all, there is nothing wrong if the college can see your search history as long as they do it on their issued devices and through their emails. They are just doing it to use their assets for the purpose they are meant to be used for. The authorities generally don’t do so but if they want to, they can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can the teachers see what I am doing on my Chromebook?
Yes, they can! If you are using a college device or a school account while sitting at home, you have no right to privacy. Your teachers can see your search history or any of your activities because it is their duty which the college has assigned to them to ensure the device is being used for its genuine purpose only.
Q2.Can the college see things I do on my chrome account?
If it is a managed device you are working with, then they can see, but if it is your device and your chrome account, then you have full privacy.
Q3.If I am offline, can the college still see my activity?
Yes, the college-issued devices are completely managed by them and even if you are offline you are still being watched because it doesn’t matter whether you are offline or online, a college-managed device has complete access to that device and they can see for what purpose the device is being used.