For years, university students have trusted technology platforms to support and enhance their educational journey. However, recent developments have raised significant concerns about the use and privacy of our data, particularly with services like Turnitin. Turnitin plays a crucial role in maintaining academic integrity, but its approach to utilising student submissions to train AI products has crossed a boundary that should remain intact.

In many tech-driven interactions, users are provided the autonomy to opt out of having their data co-opted for training AI systems. Yet, this isn't the case with Turnitin’s updated user agreement. Institutions that continue to incorporate Turnitin into their submission portals force students into a precarious position: give up their data privacy and have their work stolen or jeopardise academic success. This is an unfair ultimatum, especially given the growing concern over privacy in our digital age.

The implications of this are vast. Students' intellectual property, reflective of countless hours of labour, research, and creativity, could be assimilated into vast data sets without their explicit consent. Such practices not only erode student trust but also exploit intellectual ventures for corporate gain.

The academic world thrives on the open exchange of ideas, respect for intellectual property, and the ethical use of information. This principle should extend to digital tools and platforms. Universities should be champions of student rights and privacy, standing against the coercive practices disguised within user agreements that are rarely subjected to comprehensive student advocacy or oversight.

We propose concrete solutions to this issue:

Implementation of Opt-Out Options: Universities, in collaboration with technology providers like Turnitin, should offer clear, accessible options for students to withhold the use of their submissions in AI training, ensuring that they can make an informed and independent choice.
Transparency and Communication: Students must be comprehensively informed about how their data will be used. This involves regular updates and detailed disclosures about AI-related practices tied to academic submissions.
Re-evaluation of User Agreements: Universities need to advocate on behalf of their students to reassess and negotiate specific clauses in these agreements to better protect student privacy and data integrity. Southampton University has already taken steps in the right direction in this regard.
Development of Alternative Tools: Encourage the development or adoption of alternative academic integrity tools that respect student privacy rights.
By signing this petition, you show support for the privacy rights of students and urge educational institutions to take immediate action to safeguard these values. Join us in demanding change to protect our academic environment now and in the future.

Please sign the petition to ensure our voices are heard, and our data and intellectual property are protected.