The Respondus Lockdown browser that CollegeBoard is now requiring for the AP exams is, by definition, malware. It watches you via your camera, it records your screen, your keystrokes, your mouse movements, your microphone, etc. It has read and write access to every file on your system, it's VM aware, meaning you cannot even run it in a virtualized environment - you must install the software on a real PC to be able to take a test

The argument that CollegeBoard is likely to employ in response to this is that students have the choice to just not take any AP tests, but in many cases, this is simply not possible. In addition to the fact that many assignments in the AP classroom require the LockDown browser, not taking any AP exams is simply not a legitimate option for many of us. These exams affect our future far too much for skipping them entirely to be an acceptable alternative.

In addition to the severe violations of privacy, CollegeBoard's use of this software will directly cause more discrimination against already marginalized groups. The History of the SAT, (another test offered by CollegeBoard) is already mired in racism and marked by a failure to keep up with the times. Online test proctoring solutions have already been shown to be racist, sexist, and transphobic, over and over and over again. If CollegeBoard chooses to go forward with this, they are doing so with full knowledge of the negative impacts this will have on minority groups - an action which would run directly counter to what CollegeBoard has claimed to stand for in the recent past.

Simply put - the Lockdown browser violates a student's right to privacy and furthers a system which devalues and actively discriminates against already marginalized minority groups. We, the AP students, demand CollegeBoard stop requiring us to use this clearly problematic piece of software.