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Google Workspace Tools: Complements to Bark for Schools Monitoring

Updated
Paola Rivera

Guides

We've put together some guides that you can use to optimize your Google Workspace (G Suite) account with Bark for Schools monitoring and filtering.

Settings for Gmail

If your students use Gmail, Bark can monitor the emails sent and received.

In June 2019 Google released a new setting called Confidential Mode that could prevent Bark from monitoring these emails. We suggest taking a moment to ensure Confidential Mode is disabled. 

About Gmail Confidential Mode

The confidential mode feature in Gmail would allow students several new options when sending email.

These will include:

  • The ability to create expiration dates
  • Revocation of previously sent messages
  • Additional authentication via text message to view certain emails
  • Recipients cannot forward, print, copy or download the email or its attachments.

Disable Gmail Confidential Mode

If Confidential Mode is on by default, how do I turn it off? We've put together a guide to show you how to do just that.

  1. Sign in to your Google Workspace Admin Console.
  2. Navigate to Gmail User Settings.
  3. Scroll down until you reach Confidential Mode. Clicking on this option will open up the menu and allow you to disable. Take special notice of the Organizational Units you're applying this to.

 

Settings for Google Chat

If your students use Google Chat, Bark can monitor the text and media attachments in those chats! Ensure we're able to monitor chats by following these additional steps:

Set Up Google Chat Monitoring

Settings for Chrome Monitoring & Filtering

There are also some other neat tools in Google Workspace (G Suite) accessed under Devices > Chrome Management > User & Browser Settings:

  • Browser Guest Mode - you can select "Prevent guest browser logins" to ensure they only sign into a school-managed Chromebook from their student account.
  • Developer Tools - you can select "Never Allow the use of built-in developer tools" to prevent students from disabling Chrome extensions needed for school.
  • Incognito Mode - though we can monitor and filter sites accessed in Incognito, you can disable this setting and students will not have the option to use incognito browsing on Chrome in the first place.
  • Multiple Sign-In Access - you can select "Block multiple sign-in access for users in this organization" to ensure they only sign into a school-managed Chromebook from their student account.
  • Sign-in to secondary accounts - you can select "Block users from signing into or out of secondary Google Accounts" to ensure they only sign into a school-managed Chromebook from their student account.
  • SafeSearch - if you enable this setting, students will have explicit results filtered from their Google searches.
  • Task Manager - you can select "Block users from ending processes with the Chrome task manager" to prevent students from disabling Chrome extensions, apps, etc. needed for school.
  • URL Blocking for javascript://* - some folks have used Javascript in nefarious ways, so consider using this feature to block it on school-managed Chromebooks.
  • User management of installed CA certificates - you can select " Disallow users from managing certificates" to prevent students from tampering with Chrome extensions needed for school.
  • Youtube Restricted Mode - if you enable this setting, students will have explicit results filtered from their Youtube searches and will not be able to view many explicit videos. 

Settings for Mobile Management

Adjust Mobile Management Settings in Google Workspace

By default, your organization has basic mobile management turned on. This feature provides the fundamental tools you need to let people in your organization access their work accounts from mobile devices while keeping your organization's data more secure.

Learn more about Google Workspace's tools for mobile management.

If you ever change this setting to advanced mobile management, it will impact a child's ability to sign in with their school-issued account on managed devices like the Bark Phone.

Learn more about the Bark Phone.

If you have a student in that situation, you can fix this by doing the following:

  1. Log in at admin.google.com with your administrator credentials.
  2. Click on Devices.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Click on Universal.
  5. Click on Set the management option.
  6. (Optional) Specify an organizational unit on the left.
  7. Select either Basic (recommended) or Turn off mobile management.
  8. The student will then be able to sign in with their school-issued account on managed phones like the Bark Phone. (They may need to restart the device for changes to take effect)