Mass. Bill Would Put Privacy Squeeze on Cloud Apps For Schools

An anonymous reader points out a story at The Register about a Microsoft-backed bill proposed by Massachusetts state representative Carlo Basil which seems aimed directly at Google's cloud apps. The bill, if it should be enacted, would require that "[a]ny person who provides a cloud computing service to an educational institution operating within the State shall process data of a student enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade for the sole purpose of providing the cloud computing service to the educational institution and shall not process such data for any commercial purpose, including but not limited to advertising purposes that benefit the cloud computing service provider."

Corporations buy laws

[girlinatrainingbra]

Corporations have always bought the laws they want in their favor. That's what lobbying [wikipedia.org] is all about. Every now and then, the companies are even caught giving the legislators the actual text of the laws which they would like passed:

Koch, Exxon Mobil Among Corporations Helping Write State Laws ... [bloomberg.com]

Microsoft used to not spend any money on political campaigns. Then, after a while, they figured out enough to post political contributions on both sides and then to hire a lobbyist to advocate for them.

Microsoft's budget for political lobbying exceeded that of Enron [zdnet.com]

Another older example

Microsoft's new push in Washington - CNET News http://news.cnet.com/2010-1071_3-1021938.html [cnet.com]

Jun 30, 2003 Â CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh explains why the software maker has quietly given marching orders to its phalanx of lobbyists to get the government to ...

Of course, Google couldn't be left behind [slashdot.org]

Jan 26, 2010 -- Google quickly gaining on Microsoft in lobbying spending. Search giant is quickly catching up to Redmond as a tech power to be reckoned with in Washington ...

It's not as if this is anything new. Industry boards have long written laws: not just outlines, not just drafts, but the entire full set and exact wording just as they want it to be. That you can search for yourself. There are thousands of examples of that.

Result WIll be Opposite of Intent

[Anubis350]

Google will simply stop offering free GApps for Education for Massachusetts Schools and Non-Profits. The reason the service is free is google is counting on that data.

Disclaimer: I am the admin for a small HS and am quite happy with our Google Apps right now

that's how it's supposed to be?

[Anonymous Coward]

Meanwhile we in Europe laugh, because that's what our corporations by law are allowed only. Process data for the sole purpose it was collected for. No analysis whatsoever afterwards.