Testing companies put students at risk through information sale

In the last week of October, College Board and ACT were sued for their sale of student information without the proper consent of students. The case against these testing companies, representing Illinois resident Rachel Specter, claims that students’ names, test scores, birth dates, Social Security numbers, phone numbers and home addresses were being sold to third parties, mainly colleges, for a profit. Each name was allegedly sold for around 37 cents by the SAT and 38 cents by the ACT. 

Specter filed the report in a federal district Illinois courtroom, demanding over $5 million in damages because College Board was “unfair, immoral, unjust, oppressive and unscrupulous.”

Millions of American students were targeted and violated by colleges because of the sales made by the test-taking companies. 

There are the obvious security issues with this system. The information sold by the testing companies could result in a serious case of identity theft. Students should be able to take this standardized test without having to worry about third parties purchasing and attempting to market their information. 

This sale of student information may appear a light offense at first. If you dive deeper, though, serious infringements begin to surface. When your Social Security information ends up in the wrong hands, credit card fraud, government fraud and finance fraud can all occur under your name. 

These testing companies’ recent selling of test takers’ information violates privacy rights. Students should be able to keep all their personal information to themselves, without the colleges prying fingers attempting to find the “more intelligent” American students.  

Although these testing companies do offer the opportunity for students to opt out of sharing personal information, nowhere does it ever state that the information provided by test takers will be sold for a massive profit, especially not highly protected information such as Social Security numbers. 

Thus, the system perfects a cycle of exploitation. To get into college, students must take tests. The testing companies, in return, sell the test-takers’ information to colleges, which use the information to advertise to students, cementing their prestige and keeping students applying. 

Test taking companies should not be allowed to sell  student information to third parties. If they are so desperate for money, they should increase the testing fees instead.