Moodle in English: Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)

Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)

by Eva E - Tuesday, November 7, 2017, 10:42 PM

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone has any input on how the documents converted using the Google Converter are handled (for annotate a pdf) .

We are trying to understand the full privacy concerns that might be involved with passing student work to the google API. Are there any privacy concerns that you have discussed or come across?

I cannot seem to find exactly what it is that happens with these documents once they are passed to google for the conversion. How exactly is the document passed from moodle to the google API? Is the channel used for this transfer secure?

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Re: Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)

by Jari Vilkman - Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 6:19 PM

Hello,

I'm also intrested in this

"I cannot seem to find exactly what it is that happens with these documents once they are passed to google for the conversion. How exactly is the document passed from moodle to the google API? Is the channel used for this transfer secure?"

And also I would like to know where are the servers located physically to which these documents are uploaded to.

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Re: Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)

by Ray Lawrence - Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 9:56 PM

I suppose this is really a question to ask Google.

Where privacy is important it's best to make arrangement son your own server.

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Re: Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)

by Marcus Green - Sunday, November 26, 2017, 3:36 PM

Google is in the business of gathering information on people in order to place adverts. Their services are how they get people to give up that information. It is best to assume that any data you store with them will not be private. However I am not sure what technology this refers to that relates to Moodle, could someone enlighten me?

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Re: Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)

by Sergio Rabellino - Sunday, November 26, 2017, 9:38 PM

Google doc converter can be used as an alternative technology to unoconv/libreoffice for the "any documents" to pdf conversion in the assignment annotation.

In many scenarios the unocon/libreoffice could'nt simply installed so gdoc converter it's a valid alternative.

BTW if someone is interested, i developed a simple bash script that allows a complete remotization of the unoconv converter (https://gitlab.di.unito.it/rabellino/unoconv_wrapper) that do not need the complex requirements on the moodle's side (only bash and ssh).

I don't like (and the new GDPR regulamentations too, i believe) that bigG can scan and do machine learning on all the student's assignments.

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Security and privacy

Privacy concerns using the Google Document Converter (annotate a pdf)