Anti-cheating software drawing criticism at US universities

In March, the University of Wisconsin-Madison disabled facial recognition features offered through Honorlock, an online exam proctoring service, after three students with darker skin tones said the program failed to recognise their facial features and paused the exam. — 123rf.com

When universities across the country first went virtual last year in response to Covid-19, administrators increased their use of anti-cheating programs, which monitor students through their webcams with artificial intelligence-based facial recognition. Through functions such as these, officials hoped to discourage cheating on tests during remote learning — but it hasn't come without backlash.

In March, the University of Wisconsin-Madison disabled facial recognition features offered through Honorlock, an online exam proctoring service, after three students with darker skin tones said the program failed to recognise their facial features and paused the exam. University spokesperson Meredith McGlone said students also raised privacy concerns about the tool in focus groups and surveys conducted last fall.