Privacy Violations…
This Is A Very Serious Issue. And The Biggest Complaint From Students Against Proctoring Companies. Also A Major Concern With The Dept Of Education. This Has Led To A New Regulation You Must Comply With To Protect Student Personal Privacy.
Table 1: Reg 602.17(G -H) Privacy Protection – Page 58920
In the fervor to meet the challenges of student cheating, many institutions selected the proctoring companies with the worst records of privacy violations and user experience. Now they are paying the price with 100’s of petitions from universities and colleges with over 212,000 signatures from students to oust these companies (data obtained from change.org).
Luckily, there is a new remote proctoring solution that avoids these privacy violation issues!
Introducing BioSight-ID, automated remote proctoring solution that uses new Face Anonymization technology to preserve privacy while monitoring the exam. Combined with BioSig-ID – a gesture biometric password that authenticates identity continuously throughout the course, this dynamic duo solution is all that is needed to prevent cheating and ensures privacy rights are safeguarded.
BioSight-ID, avoids privacy issues and liability because unlike the other proctoring companies, we do not need to collect private information or infringements such as:
- Driver’s License
- Conversations
- Computer files/ data
- Video recordings of your room
- Collecting and storing your Biometric Data
- Take control of students PC
- Required software downloads
What is the issue with privacy?
- Storage and distribution of private data collected
- Infringement of personal space
- Lawsuits and organized student revolt.
Issue 1: Storage and distribution of data collected
When UC Santa Barbara faculty wrote of their “serious concerns” to the Chancellor that Proctoring company “A” was able to sell or make available student data to third parties, they were threatened with a lawsuit.1 Other proctor companies that collect the same personal student data include Proctoring companies “B, C, D, E” (Essentially all these proctoring companies are the same thing with different logos).
The data collected includes copies of personal ID, recordings of face biometrics and voice, collection of hashed passwords, name, address email. Proctoring company “C” holds onto the student data for up to 12 months and reserves the right to hold on to this info for an additional 12 months. The recent breach of 440,000 records from Proctoring company “A” confirmed the wealth of personal student data that was collected and stored and is now up for sale to hackers.2 This is usually a high cost due to credit fraud protection payments.
Solution: BioSig-ID does not collect personal records like the other proctoring companies. It is a behavioral biometric that can be changed like a regular password and restricts entry before exams by verifying ID. Then we add BioSight-ID to monitor students while taking exams. But here’s the difference it uses a new “Face anonymization technology” to blur faces and protect identity.
Issue 2. Infringement of personal space
Live remote AND Remote Automated Proctoring companies usually require students comply with showing a 360 pan of the study room (usually a bedroom), request the proctor take control of their computer to check apps running, download software, prohibit washroom breaks, agree to be watched for movements and more.
These are very serious concerns and resistance against this type of “very invasive” monitoring and data collection has now even been associated with students achieving lower grades.3
- In a randomized trial published in October 2019, 1257 nurses taking an assessment were randomized into two groups – one used live virtual proctors (LVP) and the others were proctored in person.
- Students in the LVP had a statistical (p=0.001) difference in increase in time (23 minutes) it took to make the technology work, get all the recordings done, talk with proctors to obtain passwords, set up equipment, download apps, etc…
THE RESULTS OF THE TRIAL?
Grades for the group who used live remote proctors WERE LOWER!
- The authors of the study believed it was due to the process.
- Imagine what is going to happen when students don’t get the marks they need? They will most likely sue if the stakes are high enough.
Solution: BSI products do not require this information to provide the same level of service. We collect a behavioral biometric that is not considered “invasive: versus a physical image of your body part like a face. The major BIPA privacy law in Illinois does not sanction a written signature like other biometrics, thus avoids liability. BioSight-ID uses face anonymization to protect the identity of the student. These are major benefits and is a huge breakthrough for the only privacy sparing proctoring solutions.
Issue 3. Lawsuits and organized student revolt
In July of 2019 Facebook received a $5B fine for collecting facial images and mishandling users’ personal data. Proctoring companies are collecting similar data. At least one lawsuit is announced between a proctoring company and a university so far. Students may also elect to join a class action suit to sue the university, since you required them to use this process. Nobody knows yet but the risks are there.
- When students organize a petition, you know it is bad. When it is 156 universities and colleges creating these petitions across the country signed by over 212,000 students, why would you want to use these companies, especially now with a proven alternative?
Solution: You can avoid the petitions and use BSI’s privacy sparing patented technologies. We avoid the liability risks and reduce the bad user experiences and privacy violations that have been reported with other companies.
Why risk your liability and reputation? With our proven approach to authenticating access to millions of exams and catching 1,000’s of cheating students, we can help you safeguard privacy, ensure accreditation and prevent cheating!
Call us (469) 480-0310 or Schedule a Web Demo today!!!