Update for schools using Google logins

Important Update: Google Sign-In for Online Safety Alliance

We want to inform you about changes to how you access Online Safety Alliance courses through Google Sign-In, especially if your school relies on Google credentials. These changes are set to take effect after October 23, 2023. To ensure uninterrupted access, your school’s Google Workspace for Education administrator needs to designate Online Safety Alliance as a trusted app. This will be true for all online services your school accesses through Google sign-in.

Who is Affected?

If your school uses Google-administered accounts for students under 18, and students use these accounts to access Online Safety Alliance, this change will impact you.

Please note that if your school doesn’t use Google credentials for student logins or if your students are over 18, these changes won’t affect you.

What’s Changing with Online Safety Alliance?

Online Safety Alliance’s policies remain unchanged. Students can continue to participate in our online safety programs without any alterations to our policies.

Action Required for Teachers & Administrators

To avoid potential disruptions for your students, it’s crucial that your school designates Online Safety Alliance as a trusted app within Google Workspace for Education.

Please share this guidance with your school’s IT department to ensure Online Safety Alliance is marked as trusted. Only the Google Workspace for Education admin can perform this action.

For Google Workspace for Education Admins

As a Google Workspace for Education admin, you have the ability to mark Online Safety Alliance as a trusted app. Follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Google Workspace for Education admin account.
  2. Navigate to the Admin console and select ‘Security.’
  3. From the Security menu, click on ‘API Controls.’
  4. Under ‘Third-party apps,’ click on ‘Manage third-party access.’
  5. Click on the ‘+ Trusted’ button and search for ‘OSA Certificate of Online Safety
  6. Select OSA Certificate of Online Safety from the search results and click on ‘Add.’

By following these steps, you will successfully mark Online Safety Alliance as a trusted app and ensure uninterrupted access for all your Google Workspace for Education users.

What Happens If No Action Is Taken?

From October 23, 2023, users under 18 won’t be able to sign in to Online Safety Alliance using their school-administered Google credentials. This will be true for all online services your school accesses through Google sign-in, unless they have already been marked as ‘Trusted’ through the Google Workspace for Education admin console.

Additional Support

If you have further questions or need assistance, please consult the FAQs below or visit Google Support for more information.

FAQs

  1. What if My School Doesn’t Use Google?
    • If your school doesn’t use Google Workspace for Education, these changes won’t affect you. Your students can continue using Online Safety Alliance as usual.
  2. How Can I Confirm if Online Safety Alliance Is ‘Trusted’ in Google?
    • Contact your Google Workspace for Education admin to confirm the trusted status. If there are issues, please contact your IT department to ensure Online Safety Alliance is marked as trusted.
  3. Is Online Safety Alliance Compliant with District Data Privacy Requirements?
    • Online Safety Alliance takes data privacy seriously. Please visit https://www.onlinesafetyalliance.org/privacy-policy/ for details on how we ensure this.
  4. Who Can Assist in Designating Online Safety Alliance as Trusted?
    • Only Google Workspace for Education administrators can manage app settings. To find your administrator, contact individuals responsible for your school or organization’s IT services.
  5. What If My School Doesn’t Approve Online Safety Alliance as ‘Trusted’ in Google?
    • If your school has Microsoft accounts, these can be used to access the system. However please note, if students have previously accessed courses using Google then they will not have access to their progress data when logging in with Microsoft as this is seen as a new account.