Lockdown Browser: Difference between revisions

Line 16:

===Student Privacy===

According the Respondus's Privacy Policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-12 |title=Privacy Center |url=https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260530053053/https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |archive-date=2026-05-30 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref>, LockDown Browser access many private information depending on institutional policies, such as using facial recognition, "internet and network activity information," screen captures, and etc. Researchers ~~had~~ softwares like Lockdown Browser to be "invasive monitoring tools" and surveyed privacy concerns amongst students<ref>Balash, D. G., Kim, D., Shaibekova, D., Fainchtein, R. A., Sherr, M., & Aviv, A. J. (2021, June 10). ''Examining the Examiners: Students’ Privacy and Security Perceptions of Online Proctoring Services''. ArXiv.org. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2106.05917</nowiki></ref>. Further, in Ogletree v. Cleveland State University<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ogletree v. Cleaveland State University |url=web.respondus.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/Doc-50-Amended-Opinion-and-Order-Ogletree.pdf. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/ohio/ohndce/1:2021cv00500/275187/37/}}</ref>, the U.S. District Court concluded the following:<blockquote>Based on consideration of these factors, individually and collectively, the Court concludes that Mr. Ogletree’s privacy interest in his home outweighs Cleveland State’s interests in scanning his room. Accordingly, the Court determines that Cleveland State’s practice of conducting room scans is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.</blockquote>In response to the ruling, Respondus ~~official~~ statement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-14 |title=Our Take on the Ogletree Ruling |url=https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811075746/https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |archive-date=2025-08-11 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref> updated its own privacy policy and terms of use~~, such as the following~~:<blockquote>Respondus has taken several steps to help universities strengthen their online testing policies. First, it has added the following paragraph to the boilerplate text that universities often use for their portion of the Student Terms of Use for Respondus Monitor.

According the Respondus's Privacy Policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-12 |title=Privacy Center |url=https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260530053053/https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |archive-date=2026-05-30 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref>, LockDown Browser access many private information depending on institutional policies, such as using facial recognition, "internet and network activity information," screen captures, and etc. Researchers like Balash et al. call softwares like Lockdown Browser to be "invasive monitoring tools" and surveyed privacy concerns amongst students<ref>Balash, D. G., Kim, D., Shaibekova, D., Fainchtein, R. A., Sherr, M., & Aviv, A. J. (2021, June 10). ''Examining the Examiners: Students’ Privacy and Security Perceptions of Online Proctoring Services''. ArXiv.org. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2106.05917</nowiki></ref>. Further, in Ogletree v. Cleveland State University<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ogletree v. Cleaveland State University |url=web.respondus.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/Doc-50-Amended-Opinion-and-Order-Ogletree.pdf. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/ohio/ohndce/1:2021cv00500/275187/37/}}</ref>, the U.S. District Court concluded the following:<blockquote>Based on consideration of these factors, individually and collectively, the Court concludes that Mr. Ogletree’s privacy interest in his home outweighs Cleveland State’s interests in scanning his room. Accordingly, the Court determines that Cleveland State’s practice of conducting room scans is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.</blockquote>In response to the ruling, Respondus gave the following statement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-14 |title=Our Take on the Ogletree Ruling |url=https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811075746/https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |archive-date=2025-08-11 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref> as it updated its own privacy policy and terms of use:<blockquote>Respondus has taken several steps to help universities strengthen their online testing policies. First, it has added the following paragraph to the boilerplate text that universities often use for their portion of the Student Terms of Use for Respondus Monitor.

''If your institution or instructor permits you to use Respondus Monitor at a non-university location, you agree to select a location that meets any and all university guidelines. If the location you choose is a home or personal environment, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace to be recorded by video and audio and then analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''

Line 22:

Similar text has been added to the Terms of Use section that is between Respondus and the student:

''If you are using Respondus Monitor at your home or in a personal area, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace area to be recorded by video and audio and then to be analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''</blockquote>

''If you are using Respondus Monitor at your home or in a personal area, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace area to be recorded by video and audio and then to be analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''</blockquote>Others criticize that the LockDown Browser creates stress for students and fails to create academic integrity amongst privacy issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cuevas |first=Heidi |date=2025-07-18 |title=Student Perspective: Lockdown browsers create anxiety, not integrity |url=https://panthernow.com/2025/06/18/lockdown-browsers-create-anxiety-not-integrity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260316083625/https://panthernow.com/2025/06/18/lockdown-browsers-create-anxiety-not-integrity/ |archive-date=2026-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Margaret |date=2021-03-11 |title=Lockdown Browsers: Protecting Integrity or Invading Privacy? |url=https://cuatower.com/2021/03/lockdown-browsers-protecting-integrity-or-invading-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117121331/https://cuatower.com/2021/03/lockdown-browsers-protecting-integrity-or-invading-privacy/ |archive-date=2024-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Swauger |first=Shea |date=2020-08-07 |title=Software that monitors students during tests perpetuates inequality and violates their privacy |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518134137/https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ |archive-date=2026-05-18 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Sean |date=2020-12-02 |title=Lockdown Browser is bad software and should be scrapped |url=https://mytjnow.com/2020/12/02/lockdown-browser-is-bad-software-and-should-be-scrapped/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930200501/https://mytjnow.com/2020/12/02/lockdown-browser-is-bad-software-and-should-be-scrapped/ |archive-date=2022-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Critical Analysis of Respondus LockDown Web Browser |url=https://osuosc.org/events/2008-10-17-critical-analysis-of-respondus-lockdown-web-browser/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelley |first=Jason |date=2020-08-20 |title=Proctoring Apps Subject Students to Unnecessary Surveillance |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/proctoring-apps-subject-students-unnecessary-surveillance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260520222519/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/proctoring-apps-subject-students-unnecessary-surveillance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pham |first=Vivian |date=2021-04-30 |title=Lockdown browsers fail to create a culture of academic integrity |url=https://retriever.umbc.edu/2021/04/lockdown-browsers-fail-to-create-a-culture-of-academic-integrity-they-invade-student-privacy-and-harm-student-health/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251005194426/https://retriever.umbc.edu/2021/04/lockdown-browsers-fail-to-create-a-culture-of-academic-integrity-they-invade-student-privacy-and-harm-student-health/}}</ref>

==Incidents==

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ===Student Privacy===
-According the Respondus's Privacy Policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-12 |title=Privacy Center |url=https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260530053053/https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |archive-date=2026-05-30 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref>, LockDown Browser access many private information depending on institutional policies, such as using facial recognition, "internet and network activity information," screen captures, and etc. Researchers had softwares like Lockdown Browser to be "invasive monitoring tools" and surveyed privacy concerns amongst students<ref>Balash, D. G., Kim, D., Shaibekova, D., Fainchtein, R. A., Sherr, M., & Aviv, A. J. (2021, June 10). ''Examining the Examiners: Students’ Privacy and Security Perceptions of Online Proctoring Services''. ArXiv.org. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2106.05917</nowiki></ref>. Further, in Ogletree v. Cleveland State University<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ogletree v. Cleaveland State University |url=web.respondus.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/Doc-50-Amended-Opinion-and-Order-Ogletree.pdf. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/ohio/ohndce/1:2021cv00500/275187/37/}}</ref>, the U.S. District Court concluded the following:<blockquote>Based on consideration of these factors, individually and collectively, the Court concludes that Mr. Ogletree’s privacy interest in his home outweighs Cleveland State’s interests in scanning his room. Accordingly, the Court determines that Cleveland State’s practice of conducting room scans is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.</blockquote>In response to the ruling, Respondus official statement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-14 |title=Our Take on the Ogletree Ruling |url=https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811075746/https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |archive-date=2025-08-11 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref> updated its own privacy policy and terms of use, such as the following:<blockquote>Respondus has taken several steps to help universities strengthen their online testing policies. First, it has added the following paragraph to the boilerplate text that universities often use for their portion of the Student Terms of Use for Respondus Monitor.
+According the Respondus's Privacy Policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-12 |title=Privacy Center |url=https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260530053053/https://web.respondus.com/privacy-policy/ |archive-date=2026-05-30 |access-date=2026-06-17 |website=Respondus.com}}</ref>, LockDown Browser access many private information depending on institutional policies, such as using facial recognition, "internet and network activity information," screen captures, and etc. Researchers like Balash et al. call softwares like Lockdown Browser to be "invasive monitoring tools" and surveyed privacy concerns amongst students<ref>Balash, D. G., Kim, D., Shaibekova, D., Fainchtein, R. A., Sherr, M., & Aviv, A. J. (2021, June 10). ''Examining the Examiners: Students’ Privacy and Security Perceptions of Online Proctoring Services''. ArXiv.org. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2106.05917</nowiki></ref>. Further, in Ogletree v. Cleveland State University<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ogletree v. Cleaveland State University |url=web.respondus.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/Doc-50-Amended-Opinion-and-Order-Ogletree.pdf. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/ohio/ohndce/1:2021cv00500/275187/37/}}</ref>, the U.S. District Court concluded the following:<blockquote>Based on consideration of these factors, individually and collectively, the Court concludes that Mr. Ogletree’s privacy interest in his home outweighs Cleveland State’s interests in scanning his room. Accordingly, the Court determines that Cleveland State’s practice of conducting room scans is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.</blockquote>In response to the ruling, Respondus gave the following statement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-14 |title=Our Take on the Ogletree Ruling |url=https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811075746/https://web.respondus.com/ogletree/ |archive-date=2025-08-11 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref> as it updated its own privacy policy and terms of use:<blockquote>Respondus has taken several steps to help universities strengthen their online testing policies. First, it has added the following paragraph to the boilerplate text that universities often use for their portion of the Student Terms of Use for Respondus Monitor.
 ''If your institution or instructor permits you to use Respondus Monitor at a non-university location, you agree to select a location that meets any and all university guidelines. If the location you choose is a home or personal environment, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace to be recorded by video and audio and then analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''
@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 Similar text has been added to the Terms of Use section that is between Respondus and the student:
-''If you are using Respondus Monitor at your home or in a personal area, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace area to be recorded by video and audio and then to be analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''</blockquote>
+''If you are using Respondus Monitor at your home or in a personal area, you agree to allow your activity and surrounding workspace area to be recorded by video and audio and then to be analyzed by the Respondus Monitor system.''</blockquote>Others criticize that the LockDown Browser creates stress for students and fails to create academic integrity amongst privacy issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cuevas |first=Heidi |date=2025-07-18 |title=Student Perspective: Lockdown browsers create anxiety, not integrity |url=https://panthernow.com/2025/06/18/lockdown-browsers-create-anxiety-not-integrity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260316083625/https://panthernow.com/2025/06/18/lockdown-browsers-create-anxiety-not-integrity/ |archive-date=2026-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Margaret |date=2021-03-11 |title=Lockdown Browsers: Protecting Integrity or Invading Privacy? |url=https://cuatower.com/2021/03/lockdown-browsers-protecting-integrity-or-invading-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117121331/https://cuatower.com/2021/03/lockdown-browsers-protecting-integrity-or-invading-privacy/ |archive-date=2024-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Swauger |first=Shea |date=2020-08-07 |title=Software that monitors students during tests perpetuates inequality and violates their privacy |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518134137/https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ |archive-date=2026-05-18 |access-date=2026-06-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Sean |date=2020-12-02 |title=Lockdown Browser is bad software and should be scrapped |url=https://mytjnow.com/2020/12/02/lockdown-browser-is-bad-software-and-should-be-scrapped/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930200501/https://mytjnow.com/2020/12/02/lockdown-browser-is-bad-software-and-should-be-scrapped/ |archive-date=2022-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Critical Analysis of Respondus LockDown Web Browser |url=https://osuosc.org/events/2008-10-17-critical-analysis-of-respondus-lockdown-web-browser/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelley |first=Jason |date=2020-08-20 |title=Proctoring Apps Subject Students to Unnecessary Surveillance |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/proctoring-apps-subject-students-unnecessary-surveillance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260520222519/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/proctoring-apps-subject-students-unnecessary-surveillance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pham |first=Vivian |date=2021-04-30 |title=Lockdown browsers fail to create a culture of academic integrity |url=https://retriever.umbc.edu/2021/04/lockdown-browsers-fail-to-create-a-culture-of-academic-integrity-they-invade-student-privacy-and-harm-student-health/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251005194426/https://retriever.umbc.edu/2021/04/lockdown-browsers-fail-to-create-a-culture-of-academic-integrity-they-invade-student-privacy-and-harm-student-health/}}</ref>
 ==Incidents==