Scientists at Groningen University are opposed to the university’s plans to force them to communicate via Google.

They say their communications may not be safe in the hands of the American giant and want an alternative, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

The university expects to save hundreds of thousands of euros with the shift to the Google cloud system. The move is part of the implementation of Google Apps for Education, a software service for education management.

Security

Eleven Dutch universities and hbo colleges have made the shift to Google over the past couple of years, the paper says. Addresses such as@student.uva.nl or @tilburguniversity.edu are also gmail addresses.

Groningen’s mathematics and natural science faculties say they have major objections to the plan and fear advantages – a larger capacity mailbox and good anti-hacking security – do not outweigh the concerns, which primarily come from private sector partners.

‘Our partners in the private sector and at the European Union do not want correspondence about research going through Google’s servers,’ IT coordinator Ronald Zwaagstra, told the paper.

‘They are also worried about leaks affecting research which can be patented, as well as general privacy concerns,’ he said.