The Government Has Just Blocked 40 Uni Cheating Websites

The 40 sites were receiving over 450,000 hits a month.

Would you ever pay someone to write an essay for you?

If you would, you might be out of luck, because the Federal Department of Education has blocked 40 sites used for academic cheating.

Through these sites, uni students can buy essays or assignments, or even pay someone to sit their exams for them.

Using their new powers for the first time, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TESQA) has restricted access to sites that “threaten academic integrity and expose students to criminals”.

In a statement, Minister for Education Jason Clare said, “blocking these websites will seriously disrupt the operations of the criminals behind them”.

Media Release: Cheating websites blocked #auspolhttps://t.co/mcZubBGSb3 pic.twitter.com/lt6cqN5yDn

— Jason Clare MP (@JasonClareMP) August 4, 2022

With the impact of COVID, two thirds of uni students think cheating on an exam is easier ever right now.

Earlier this year we conducted a poll and just under a quarter of you said you had cheated on an exam, meanwhile 28 per cent had thought about it.

Director of TESQA’s Higher Education Integrity Unit Dr Helen Gniel told Student Edge that while most students don’t use these services, the ones that do can damage university reputations.

“The small proportion of students that use these services have a really big impact on the trust that people have in the institutions.”

Dr Helen said hundreds of thousands of Australian students were visiting these sites.

“The 40 sites that we blocked were collectively receiving about 450,000 hits a month.”

 

She’s also said that this is just the beginning.

“It’s ongoing. We’ve indicated that we’ll make several reports like this every year.”

The people who run these websites could be looking at a fine of up to $111,000 and two years in prison.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson has welcomed the block, saying “It is bad for universities and students and any action to stop these ruthless outfits is a good thing”.

So maybe get that study in early, because the easy way out might not be available next time.