Students Protest Remote Testing Software

Feb 4, 2021, 12:36 PM

(from the Verge) The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced that it will discontinue its use of remote-proctoring software Proctorio after its summer 2021 term. The decision follows almost a year of outcry over the service, both on UIUC’s campus and around the US, citing concerns with privacy, discrimination and accessibility. Proctorio is one of the most prominent software platforms that colleges and universities use to watch for cheating on remote tests. The software flags “suspicious signs” to professors, who can review its recordings, and instructors and the service access get some of test-takers’ browsing data. Students and professors at several other universities have launched simliar protests, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a complaint against Proctorio, alongside four other test-proctoring services, claiming that the services’ collection of personal information amounts to “unfair and deceptive trade practices.”