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|Logo=Google Jamboard logomark.svg
|Logo=Google Jamboard logomark.svg
|Website=https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/14084927
|Website=https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/14084927
|Description=An educational device that cost $5000 for public school classrooms that was shut down & stopped allowing edits.
|Description=A $4,999 cloud-connected digital whiteboard that was remotely disabled by Google, converting expensive hardware into basic displays.
}}
}}
{{Ph-C-Int}}
'''[[wikipedia:Jamboard|Google Jamboard]]''' was a $4,999 interactive digital whiteboard launched in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/23/15680250/google-jamboard-digital-whiteboard-hands-on-video|title=Google made a $5,000 whiteboard — and it’s weirdly fun|first=Jacob|last=Kastrenakes|work=The Verge|date=2017-05-23|access-date=2025-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250428131124/https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/23/15680250/google-jamboard-digital-whiteboard-hands-on-video|archive-date=2025-04-28|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2023, Google announced in that Google Jamboard would have its primary features disabled by October 2024 and all user data permanently deleted by December 2024.<ref name="Google24">{{cite web |title=Google Jamboard is winding down |url=https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/14084927?hl=en |publisher=Google Support|access-date=2025-09-01}}</ref>


==Consumer-impact summary==
==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}
====Freedom====
According to the Jamboard hardware agreement, "Google is under no obligation to provide Customer with Hardware, Hardware replacement, Hardware updates, or Hardware support under this Agreement."<ref name="JBHA">{{Cite web|url=https://workspace.google.com/terms/jamboard/|title=Jamboard Hardware Agreement|work=Google Workspace|access-date=2025-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250615031347/https://workspace.google.com/terms/jamboard/|archive-date=2025-06-15|url-status=live}}</ref> Users are prohibited from the following actions: "adapt, alter, modify, decompile, translate, disassemble, or reverse engineer the Service and/or the Hardware".<ref name="JBHA" />
====Privacy====
Jamboard utilized the same privacy policy as all Google services in Google Drive, which states "we will not use a Private document for marketing or promotional campaigns" and "we will not change a Private document into a Public one."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2450387?hl=en|title=Google Drive Terms of Service|date=2020-03-31|work=Google Drive|access-date=2025-09-01}}</ref>
 
====Business model====
Google received revenue from the upfront sale of the Jamboard whiteboards alongside Workspace (previously G-Suite) subscriptions from educational and business establishments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techlearning.com/features/how-to-use-google-jamboard-for-teachers|title=Using Google Jamboard Before It Is Shut Down in 2025|first=Luke|last=Edwards|date=2024-09-09|work=Tech Learning|access-date=2025-09-01}}</ref>
 
====Market control====
Other brands of smart white boards include [[Microsoft]]'s Surface Hub, and [[Avocor]]'s Series One Board and Deck.<ref name="GD">{{cite web |date=2023-09-28 |title=The next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace |url=https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2023/09/the-next-phase-of-digital-whiteboarding-for-google-workspace.html |publisher=Google Workspace Updates}}</ref> On the software side, there is FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro.<ref name="GD" />


==Incidents==
==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
===Remote deactivation & forced obsolescence===
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
On September 28, 2023, Google announced the complete shutdown of Jamboard. They created a timeline that would disable all cloud features by October 1, 2024 and permanently delete all user data by December 31, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |date=2023-09-28 |title=Google shutting down Jamboard, offering transition to other whiteboard apps |url=https://9to5google.com/2023/09/28/google-jamboard/ |publisher=9to5Google}}</ref> This decision affected many organizations that paid $4,999 per device plus $600 annual management fees. Educational institutions were particularly impacted, as the deactivation affected curriculum they had built around the platform.<ref>{{cite web |title=$5,000 Google Jamboard Dies In 2024 -- Cloud-Based Apps Will Stop Working, Too |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/09/29/1951233/5000-google-jamboard-dies-in-2024----cloud-based-apps-will-stop-working-too |publisher=Slashdot|date=2023-09-29|author=BeauHD}}</ref>
 
The shutdown converted devices into "unlicensed mode" where they could not save content, use Google Meet, or use any cloud-connected functions. After December 31, 2024, the devices lost about 90% of their capabilities, functioning only as basic HDMI displays.<ref name="Google24" />


===Example incident one (''date'')===
===Data loss & forced migration===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Google's shutdown included permanent deletion of all user-created content ("Jams") on December 31, 2024, forcing organizations to manually export years of collaborative work. The company offered only "best-effort" PDF conversion, with users reporting blank PDFs and loss of interactive elements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Export your jams |url=https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/13864841?hl=en |publisher=Google Support|access-date=2025-09-01}}</ref>
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...


Educational institutions reported losing hundreds of lesson plans integrated into their teaching workflows, with one Change.org petition gathering 498 supporters highlighting the impact on "youngest English language learners" and COVID-era remote learning materials.<ref>{{cite web |title=Petition · Save Jamboard |url=https://www.change.org/p/save-jamboard |publisher=Change.org}}</ref> The forced migration to alternative platforms like FigJam, Miro, or Lucidspark required additional investments of more than $7,000 per replacement when including new hardware, software subscriptions, and implementation costs.
===Lack of compensation for hardware purchasers===
Despite the very large up-front financial investment by customers, Google offered zero hardware compensation for non-educational buyers who purchased the devices. Educational institutions received only vague promises of compensation "on a partner-by-partner basis" without specific details.<ref name="GD" />
The devices cannot run alternative software due to locked bootloaders and proprietary firmware, making them permanently obsolete once Google's servers shut down. A group of tech-savvy individuals on the XDA-developers forum ported lineageOS to the devices to give them increased functionality. <ref>{{Cite web |title=[UNOFFICIAL] LineageOS 22 for the Google Jamboard - WIP {{!}} XDA Forums |url=https://xdaforums.com/t/unofficial-lineageos-22-for-the-google-jamboard-wip.4755529/ |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=XDA-Forums|author=npjohnson|date=2025-08-21}}</ref> Factory resets prompt users to enter activation codes that cannot be obtained.


==See also==
==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}
*[[Planned obsolescence]]
 
*[[Right to repair]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://sites.google.com/eastpennsd.org/epsdtech/elementary/google/google-jamboard Google Jamboard introduction/tutorial (unofficial)]


[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Latest revision as of 22:06, 1 September 2025

Google Jamboard
Basic Information
Release Year 2016
Product Type Educational Technology(ed-tech)
In Production No
Official Website https://support.google.com/jamboard/answer/14084927

Google Jamboard was a $4,999 interactive digital whiteboard launched in 2017.[1] In September 2023, Google announced in that Google Jamboard would have its primary features disabled by October 2024 and all user data permanently deleted by December 2024.[2]

Consumer-impact summary[edit | edit source]

Freedom[edit | edit source]

According to the Jamboard hardware agreement, "Google is under no obligation to provide Customer with Hardware, Hardware replacement, Hardware updates, or Hardware support under this Agreement."[3] Users are prohibited from the following actions: "adapt, alter, modify, decompile, translate, disassemble, or reverse engineer the Service and/or the Hardware".[3]

Privacy[edit | edit source]

Jamboard utilized the same privacy policy as all Google services in Google Drive, which states "we will not use a Private document for marketing or promotional campaigns" and "we will not change a Private document into a Public one."[4]

Business model[edit | edit source]

Google received revenue from the upfront sale of the Jamboard whiteboards alongside Workspace (previously G-Suite) subscriptions from educational and business establishments.[5]

Market control[edit | edit source]

Other brands of smart white boards include Microsoft's Surface Hub, and Avocor's Series One Board and Deck.[6] On the software side, there is FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro.[6]

Incidents[edit | edit source]

Remote deactivation & forced obsolescence[edit | edit source]

On September 28, 2023, Google announced the complete shutdown of Jamboard. They created a timeline that would disable all cloud features by October 1, 2024 and permanently delete all user data by December 31, 2024.[7] This decision affected many organizations that paid $4,999 per device plus $600 annual management fees. Educational institutions were particularly impacted, as the deactivation affected curriculum they had built around the platform.[8]

The shutdown converted devices into "unlicensed mode" where they could not save content, use Google Meet, or use any cloud-connected functions. After December 31, 2024, the devices lost about 90% of their capabilities, functioning only as basic HDMI displays.[2]

Data loss & forced migration[edit | edit source]

Google's shutdown included permanent deletion of all user-created content ("Jams") on December 31, 2024, forcing organizations to manually export years of collaborative work. The company offered only "best-effort" PDF conversion, with users reporting blank PDFs and loss of interactive elements.[9]

Educational institutions reported losing hundreds of lesson plans integrated into their teaching workflows, with one Change.org petition gathering 498 supporters highlighting the impact on "youngest English language learners" and COVID-era remote learning materials.[10] The forced migration to alternative platforms like FigJam, Miro, or Lucidspark required additional investments of more than $7,000 per replacement when including new hardware, software subscriptions, and implementation costs.

Lack of compensation for hardware purchasers[edit | edit source]

Despite the very large up-front financial investment by customers, Google offered zero hardware compensation for non-educational buyers who purchased the devices. Educational institutions received only vague promises of compensation "on a partner-by-partner basis" without specific details.[6]

The devices cannot run alternative software due to locked bootloaders and proprietary firmware, making them permanently obsolete once Google's servers shut down. A group of tech-savvy individuals on the XDA-developers forum ported lineageOS to the devices to give them increased functionality. [11] Factory resets prompt users to enter activation codes that cannot be obtained.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Kastrenakes, Jacob (2017-05-23). "Google made a $5,000 whiteboard — and it's weirdly fun". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Google Jamboard is winding down". Google Support. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Jamboard Hardware Agreement". Google Workspace. Archived from the original on 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  4. "Google Drive Terms of Service". Google Drive. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  5. Edwards, Luke (2024-09-09). "Using Google Jamboard Before It Is Shut Down in 2025". Tech Learning. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace". Google Workspace Updates. 2023-09-28.
  7. "Google shutting down Jamboard, offering transition to other whiteboard apps". 9to5Google. 2023-09-28.
  8. BeauHD (2023-09-29). "$5,000 Google Jamboard Dies In 2024 -- Cloud-Based Apps Will Stop Working, Too". Slashdot.
  9. "Export your jams". Google Support. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  10. "Petition · Save Jamboard". Change.org.
  11. npjohnson (2025-08-21). "[UNOFFICIAL] LineageOS 22 for the Google Jamboard - WIP | XDA Forums". XDA-Forums. Retrieved 2025-09-01.

External links[edit | edit source]