Virtual Proctors- Inaccesible and Racist Algorithms.

The coronavirus has led to a massive move to online test taking and with that a number schools and universities are turning to online proctoring services that allow them to watch students while taking tests, to bar against any potential cheating. But what it is actually doing is creating greater inequalities in our education system and these technology companies are making a fortune while also being weirdly aggressive about anyone who speaks out against them; And especially at students who call them out or seek transparency in their data security systems.

Last month I read an article on Washington post which had testimonies of students that had taken tests at their universities/schools using a proctoring algorithm. Many of those students admitted being afraid to even go to the bathroom, because the algorithm could flag them and kick them out of the exam. In case a student needs to move away from their desk and the algorithm thinks that they are cheating, they could get flagged for cheating which will then lead to major consequences if they are marked as a cheaters on the exam.

This is not to mention the fact that requiring students and test takers to have a perfectly quiet environment and private room in order to take a test is extremely prohibitive for a lot of people. Many people who are lower income or who even just live-in dorms or live with roommates are not going to have the luxury of a perfectly quiet and private space.

While differently abled people who are trying to take tests maybe can't fully control their head or eye movement in the way that it is necessary to not trigger the algorithm. Or even people who have extreme test anxiety, or people whom sitting perfectly still for three or four hours straight just is not an option are a few examples that makes these tests really inaccessible.

Plus, all these algorithms for these proctors appear to be like most algorithms. Created by white people and so there have been reports of people with darker skin tones not being able to use it properly because it is not registering that their face is a human face.

All this begs the question- why the hell are we so scared about students cheating? I am obviously not condoning cheating, i do not think it is good, but the number of resources that schools put towards online proctoring could instead go to teachers and by that to make sure that they have the resources that they need to make sure that students are just learning the material to begin with.

A great number of students are pissed and they are clapping back not only at their schools for what they are seeing as a lot of distrust on the part of the schools, but also at these major companies for what appears to be "not so transparent data security practices" with a lot of questions about who is actually monitoring them and what they are doing with their data and the images of them, while the proctoring programs have access to their computers, desktops, cameras and microphones.

This led to a technology specialist named Ian Linkletter, working at the University of British Columbia to call out a specific virtual proctor company which led to a lawsuit. Ian Linkletter, called out the company after posting screenshots of a UBC students user support chat box on twitter. Which clearly was a violation of their own terms of service by sharing these private messages between the student and the customer service person which clearly puts into question how seriously they are actually taking the data security of the students that are using their systems.

During that time a student posted on twitter his screen explaining the access that the company has of test takers' personal space,  which led to the company filling a DMCA takedown with twitter, which is an act that allows for people who believe that their copyrights have been infringed upon, can submit a complaint with the company and request that it is taken down, and it was indeed taken down.

Although, despite the fuss about data security companies seem to stand by their claims for fair use of personal data while schools continue to use the programs. Let us hope that we will soon return to campus and get rid of these algorithms that have unlimited and untraceable access to our computers and our personal data.