Dear IT community,
Effective August 17, 2025, UC Berkeley will implement age-based restrictions on Google Workspace for Education accounts in order to comply with Google’s Terms of Service. These restrictions are required to ensure compliance with privacy and safety regulations that protect minors when parental consent has not been obtained.
Important note:
Degree-seeking students under the age of 18 will not be impacted by these changes, as parental consent has already been obtained during the enrollment process.
Who is impacted?
- Non-degree-seeking students under 18 (see defined non-degree programs)
- Non-student employees under 18
What is changing?
Non-degree-seeking students and non-student employees under 18 may experience changes in the functionality of some Google services, including:
- Google Search: SafeSearch will be automatically applied to filter explicit content.
- Google Play: Only content rated Everyone, Everyone 10+, or Teen is available.
- Google Maps & Earth: Payment features, public posting, Timeline, and Location History will be limited.
- Google Photos: Paid features, partner sharing, in-app sharing or receiving photos/videos, and private conversations will be limited.
- Google Groups: Public groups ending in @googlegroups.com will be inaccessible.
- Gemini: Image generation may be restricted; Gemini within Google Classroom is limited.
- Google Classroom: Creating or editing content, resources, or assignments with Gemini is not permitted. General access to Google Classroom is otherwise unaffected.
- YouTube: Content creation, live streams, comments, live chat, and purchases are not permitted.
Contact
Here are some additional resources:
- For more detailed information on limitations, please refer to the Google Workspace for Education app restrictions for users under 18
- Questions regarding the University's legal and policy basis for operationalization of the limits set by Google can be directed to the IT Policy Program at itpolicy@berkeley.edu
- If you need technical assistance, please contact us.
Best,
bConnected Team | Email & Collaboration Services
Campus IT Experience