Chegg penalised for contravening academic cheating laws
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) welcomes today’s decision of the Federal Court of Australia in proceedings brought by TEQSA against Chegg Inc. The Court found that Chegg contravened academic cheating laws on three occasions through its ‘Expert Q&A’ service, and ordered it to pay penalties of $500,000 and costs of $150,000. This decision marks a significant outcome for the integrity of higher education sector and is an Australian-first for contraventions of Australia’s academic cheating laws.
This case, the first of its kind in Australia, considered new laws introduced in 2020, amending the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) to prohibit the provision of academic cheating services.
The Court found that on 3 occasions, Chegg contravened subsection 114A(3) of the TEQSA Act, which prohibits providing, offering to provide, or arranging for a third party to provide, an academic cheating service to a higher education student.
TEQSA Chief Executive Officer Dr Mary Russell said the decision sends a clear signal that services which undermine academic integrity and put learning outcomes at risk have no place in Australia’s higher education system.
The Court’s decision provides an important milestone for the sector’s response to emerging threats to academic integrity.
We note and appreciate that providers played a critical role in collecting regulatory intelligence, in proactively raising concerns about Chegg. Bringing concerns to TEQSA’s attention early supports timely, risk-based regulatory action.
TEQSA will continue to work closely with providers, government and international partners to uphold academic standards and protect the reputation of the higher education sector, and student experiences and outcomes.
Quotes attributable to TEQSA Chief Executive Officer Dr Mary Russell
“Academic integrity is fundamental to the quality and reputation of Australia’s higher education sector and the academic success and experiences of students.“
“This outcome reinforces the importance of academic integrity to Australian higher education. TEQSA will act decisively to address allegations of academic cheating services being provided or offered to Australian higher education students.”
“TEQSA welcomes reports from students, providers, academic staff and the wider public about suspected academic cheating services. Reports can be made via our website at teqsa.gov.au.”
For more information about the legal proceedings against Chegg
Please refer to TEQSA’s October 2024 statement on legal action against Chegg, which outlined TEQSA’s allegations and what TEQSA was seeking: TEQSA commences legal proceedings against Chegg.
The publicly available details about the Chegg matter can be found on the Federal Court’s website.