Web giants told to help stop student ‘essay mill’ cheats

TECHNOLOGY companies must stop helping students to cheat by processing online payments for fake essays, the Education Secretary is demanding.

Damian Hinds called on PayPal and other firms to help stop the so-called ‘essay mills’ companies making money.

The mills help thousands of students to buy essays and pass them off as their own.

They often employ graduates to complete the work, and can tailor essays to a required grade.

The companies exploit a loophole in the law, by claiming the scripts are just for guidance and not to be submitted under false pretences.

Universities can discipline students for handing in work which is not their own, but it is often hard for tutors to spot fake work.

Yesterday, Mr Hinds said: ‘Sadly there have always been some people who opt for the easy way and the internet has seen a black market in essay-writing services spring up. It is unethical for these companies to profit from this dishonest business which is exploiting young people and it is time to stamp them out of our world-class higher education sector.

‘I am determined to beat the cheats who threaten the integrity of our system and am calling on online giants such as PayPal to block payments or end the advertisement of these services. It is their moral duty to do so.’

It is understood Google and YouTube have responded to the calls and are taking steps to remove hundreds of adverts for essay-writing services.

A spokesman for PayPal confirmed the company is already reviewing the issue.

The Quality Assurance Agency found about 17,000 instances of academic offences in 2016 in the UK. However, the number of students using essay writing services is thought to be higher.