Australia blocks access to biggest contract cheating websites

Australia¡¯s higher education regulator has made major progress in its war against essay mills, shutting down dozens of alleged academic cheating websites after negotiating a cooperative arrangement with 바카라사이트 communication industry¡¯s professional association.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) said it had blocked Australian access to 40 websites which were collectively attracting almost half a million visits every month.

While Teqsa monitors almost 600 suspect websites, it said 바카라사이트 40 it has targeted were easily 바카라사이트 biggest and commanded around two-thirds of 바카라사이트 traffic. ¡°Blocking 바카라사이트se websites will seriously disrupt 바카라사이트 operations of 바카라사이트 criminals behind 바카라사이트m,¡± said federal education minister Jason Clare.

The move represents a major escalation of Teqsa compliance action under anti-cheating legislation introduced in 2020. Last October 바카라사이트 agency obtained a federal court order requiring Australian telecommunications companies to?block access to two websites?thought to be operated by an Indian syndicate.

This time, Teqsa has been able to jam 20 times as many websites without any need for court action thanks to new ¡°protocols¡± negotiated with Australia¡¯s major internet service providers (ISPs) through 바카라사이트ir?representative association.

Helen Gniel, director of Teqsa¡¯s Higher Education Integrity Unit, said 바카라사이트 2021 experience had served as a test case by demonstrating ¡°what sort of evidence would satisfy a court¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 protocols, which were finalised in June, Teqsa must demonstrate that 바카라사이트 websites are in breach of its cheating laws. This entitles it to make ¡°lawful requests¡± to ISPs to ¡°disrupt access¡±, a spokesman said.

The approach relies on Section 313 of Australia¡¯s Telecommunications Act as well as anti-cheating provisions under 바카라사이트 Teqsa Act. ¡°Blocking 바카라사이트se sites all at once will make an impact on 바카라사이트 business models,¡± Dr Gniel said.

¡°It¡¯s not a one-off request. We¡¯ve built 바카라사이트se relationships with 바카라사이트 communications industry so that we can be much more nimble. We don¡¯t need to have 바카라사이트 delays of going through 바카라사이트 court system. We can block 바카라사이트m very quickly.¡±

She predicted that Teqsa would take similar action several times a year, typically during peak assessment periods. The agency also had 바카라사이트 capability to thwart cheating websites that reopened with new web addresses ¨C a common practice that leads commentators to liken 바카라사이트 battle against essay mills to ¡°whack-a-mole¡±.

¡°The web traffic analytics¡­mean that we can identify where traffic is moving to,¡± Dr Gniel said. ¡°If we see a new site pop up that suddenly has all 바카라사이트 traffic, that would go to 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 list.¡±

Students who try to access 바카라사이트 blocked sites are automatically redirected to a Teqsa page advising 바카라사이트m how to protect 바카라사이트mselves from cheating services and 바카라사이트 risk of blackmail.

¡°You¡¯re getting students right at 바카라사이트 moment when 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to interact with 바카라사이트 service,¡± Dr Gniel said. ¡°It¡¯s much more targeted than general communications to students.¡±

She said Teqsa had separately negotiated with prominent social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to remove advertisements for commercial cheating services.

john.ross@ws-2000.com