Regex Tab Manager

The purpose of this application is to provide K12 Google Workspace administrators with the ability to prevent the use of browser tabs and tools normally used to circumvent web filters and classroom management tools. Administrators can use Regex pattern matching to selectively and forcibly close browser tabs of known circumvention tools, with provisions to not enforce tab closure from trusted sources. Settings are easily controlled in the extension's installation policy. Simply modify the example JSON to your needs. When the student devices perform a policy update, the extension will update its definitions.

This extension collects absolutely no data from the student device. To my knowledge, this extension should be compliant with COPPA, FERPA, SOPPA, or any other law protecting against the harvesting of information of minors.

As mentioned above, Regex patterns are used to close browser tabs which match the pattern of known circumvention methods, and provide overrides for trusted resources. The example JSON blow contains two array elements. The first, called bannedURLs, contains three regex patterns, which will block the three known circumvention methods listed below. The second array, called hostnameOverrides, allows you to enter a DNS / host name that will are allowed to continue opening the banned URLs.

There are three circumvention tools this application was specifically designed to combat, with the ability to add your own customization later.

1) about:blank cloaking – The use opening a new browser tab to an about:blank page, using Javascript from the tab of origin to load an iframe element into the about:blank tab of the about:blank tab, and then loading an new site into the iframe element.

The purpose of this from the student's perspective is that they about:blank tab is a protected / system reserved tab. To tools such as Securly's GoGuardian's and Hapara's classroom management tools, these tabs are invisible. From the teacher's perspective, the student may still be in a Google Doc, while really on a custom Google Site for games.