An Ohio judge has ruled that a Cleveland State University\u2019s virtual scan of a student\u2019s room prior to an online test was unconstitutional. The ruling marks a victory for digital privacy advocates around the country, who have spoken loudly against the practices of online test proctoring for many years.<\/p>\n

Chemistry student Aaron Ogletree sat for an online test in the spring 2021 semester. Ogletree was asked to show the virtual proctor his bedroom through his webcam prior to the beginning of the test. A recording of the room scan as well as the testing process that followed was retained by Honorlock, the university\u2019s third-party vendor.<\/p>\n

Ogletree sued the university on the grounds that the practice violated his rights under the Fourth Amendment, which protects US citizens against \u201cunreasonable searches and seizures\u201d. The university, in defense, argues that \u201croom scans are \u2018standard industry wide practice\u2019\u201d, and that \u201cstudents frequently acquiesce in their use.\u201d<\/p>\n