TEQSA blocks more websites to protect students and academic integrity
Another 50 illegal academic cheating service websites have been blocked by TEQSA, disrupting the operations of cheating services that target students in Australia.
This recent action brings the total number of websites blocked, under protocols with major internet service providers (ISPs), to 422. A list of the blocked illegal cheating websites is available at teqsa.gov.au.
Academic cheating services allow students to pay someone to complete assessments for them. This undermines the student’s learning and the trust in the qualification they receive. Further, using these services leaves the student vulnerable to blackmail and identity theft.
Blocking illegal academic cheating service websites is part of TEQSA’s multi-pronged approach to protecting the integrity of higher education awards.
In September, TEQSA, as part of the Global Academic Integrity Network, issued an open letter calling on social media and online platforms to take action to stop the advertising of these predatory services.
TEQSA has also worked to understand student attitudes to the issues of academic cheating, generative artificial intelligence and student wellbeing, conducting market research in May 2024.
To support providers in engaging students with these issues, TEQSA has shared the insights gathered from this research on our website. We encourage providers to consider these insights, and those gathered from their own student body, in preparing student communication around academic integrity for 2025.
TEQSA has numerous resources available to support higher education students, academics and professional staff. These resources include:
- Understanding academic integrity information for students (translations of this information into languages other than English, are also available on our website)
- the TEQSA Masterclass: Contract cheating detection and deterrence, which is suitable for professional and academic staff.