In a recent update posted on March 14, 2025, the Google Workspace team announced a new requirement for Google Workspace for Education administrators regarding students under 18 accessing Additional Services. Starting soon, admins will need to annually reconfirm parental consent for these services, which go beyond the core offerings like Gmail and Google Classroom. This change ensures compliance with Google’s Terms of Service, which mandate parental approval for minors using these optional tools.
The process will involve admins reviewing and confirming consent through the Google Admin console, where services will be flagged as either “Needs confirmation” or “Confirmed.” If consent isn’t reconfirmed by the specified deadline, access to those services will be blocked for users under 18, even if the service is technically enabled. This update builds on existing age-based access controls, emphasizing transparency and accountability for educational institutions managing student data and access. Admins are encouraged to stay proactive to avoid disruptions for their students.
The complete release from Google can be located at this link.