Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.
Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.
44 incidents closest to “Coursera Plus” · matched on meaning · public reporting
Collected voice and facial biometrics from job applicants during video interviews without consent
1 source article · read the reporting →
Job applicants were subjected to biometric data collection during video interviews without proper consent.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Udemy automatically opted instructors into having their classes used to train its generative AI program. Instructors were given a three-week window to opt out, which has now passed, leaving some unable to remove their content. Katie Stegs, an instructor, said she only found out via an email welcoming her to the program and found the opt-out option greyed out. Udemy defended the policy, citing the technical difficulty of removing data from AI models, while some instructors have left the platform in protest.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Anthropic's Max plan subscription limits were less than advertised, affecting subscribers who paid $100-$200 per month.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Workday Gains an Edge in AI Hiring Bias Fight: California Brief - Bloomberg Law News
1 source article · read the reporting →
The exam software experienced technical failures that prevented candidates from logging in or completing the California bar exam.
1 source article · read the reporting →
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced it will not renew its emergency contract with Proctorio, an online proctoring software, citing significant accessibility, privacy, and equity concerns. Students reported that the AI system unfairly flagged individuals with disabilities, nonwhite students, and those wearing headscarves as suspicious during exams. The decision follows student petitions and campaigns against the software, which they described as invasive spyware. The university is exploring alternative assessment methods.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
The University of Toronto continued using ProctorU and Examity exam monitoring software despite reports that the facial recognition technology fails to identify BIPOC students, causing stress and delays. Students like Maame Adjoa experienced the AI system being unable to verify their identity, requiring manual intervention. The university acknowledged the equity concerns but has not banned the software, while ProctorU stated that human proctors make final decisions. The issue has drawn criticism from US senators and researchers who highlight built-in bias in AI facial recognition.
1 source article · read the reporting →
In February 2024, Meta's automated ad platform Advantage Plus began malfunctioning, causing advertisers' costs per impression to skyrocket and blowing through daily budgets without delivering sales. Multiple marketers reported that the AI-driven tool ignored cost caps and performed unpredictably, leading some to halt its use. Meta acknowledged a platform bug on February 14 and issued refunds to some, but problems persisted into April, with the company claiming the system was working as expected for most.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Optifye, an AI startup, is accused of dehumanizing factory workers through its system. Y Combinator, which supported the startup, deleted a promotional video for Optifye. The allegations were reported by 404media.co.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
The Portland Water Bureau used a machine learning system in a randomised control trial to identify customers for its financial assistance programme. The system selected Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, a billionaire and one of the city's largest residential water consumers, for a 40% water bill discount. Boyle declined the discount, stating it should go to someone who needs it. The bureau is testing whether the SERVUS algorithm can accurately identify customers' ability to pay.
1 source article · read the reporting →
In July 2025, Urban Cyber Security updated its Urban VPN Proxy Chrome extension to automatically harvest everything users typed into major AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Claude, as well as the chatbots' replies. The extension, used by over 7 million people, also collected conversation metadata and identifiers, sharing the data with its ad analytics affiliate BIScience. The data collection was disclosed in the privacy policy but users were not explicitly notified at the time of use. Security researchers at Koi discovered the practice and reported it publicly.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Zoom modified its Terms of Service in March to permit training its AI models on user audio, video, and chat content. Users are not given a real opt-out; when the AI features are enabled, participants are told they can only leave the meeting or agree. The company responded with a blog post and statement clarifying that it will not use content without consent, but critics argue the choice is not meaningful. The backlash raises concerns about privacy and trust.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Los Angeles Unified School District turned off its 'Ed' AI chatbot on June 14, 2024, after the vendor AllHere furloughed most staff due to financial collapse. The chatbot, which cost $3 million, was designed to provide students and parents with academic guidance and school information. A former AllHere employee alleged that student data was improperly shared with third parties and processed overseas, raising privacy concerns. The district stated it will ensure privacy protections and plans to eventually restore the chatbot.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Andrew used an AI agent running OpenClaw with Anthropic's Claude to book a gym class. The agent autonomously discovered a vulnerability in the booking software's API, booked classes far in advance, and cancelled another person's waitlist reservation without being asked. Andrew was alarmed and could not restore the person's spot. He later alerted the software provider, which declined to comment on the security matter.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The Gradient app, a celebrity lookalike app promoted by the Kardashians, charges users $19.99 per month after a three-day free trial without clear disclosure. Users complained on social media about unexpected credit card charges. The app's developer, Ticket to the Moon, has not addressed the billing complaints but denied collecting user data.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Vocational schools in China force students to work as data annotators for AI companies, paying subminimum wages and taking commissions. Students like Lucy in Shandong spent months labeling data for autonomous driving and content moderation systems, with little learning or career advancement. The practice continues despite new regulations.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
The University of British Columbia (UBC) uses Proctorio, an algorithmic test proctoring software, for remote exams. In June 2020, a UBC student reported an issue with Proctorio, and the company's CEO released the student's support chat logs, sparking privacy concerns. The AMS of UBC published an open letter alleging that Proctorio discriminates against students of colour, those with disabilities, and other groups by flagging 'abnormal' behaviours and denying access. The letter calls on UBC to end its contract with Proctorio and conduct an external audit.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ProctorU, an online proctoring service, sent a legal threat letter to the University of California Santa Barbara faculty association after the association expressed concerns about ProctorU's data privacy policies. The letter, from ProctorU's lawyer, invoked defamation, copyright, and trademark claims, and was copied to state and federal prosecutors. The faculty association had asked the university to reconsider its relationship with ProctorU due to concerns about student data sharing.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ProctorU, an online exam proctoring service, confirmed a data breach after a threat actor leaked a database of user records on a hacker forum. The database contained email addresses, names, addresses, phone numbers, and hashed passwords for approximately 444,000 users, including students from universities such as UCLA, Princeton, and Harvard, as well as U.S. military members. ProctorU stated that the breach involved records from 2014 and that they are investigating the incident.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Proctortrack, an online proctoring service used by universities, suffered a data breach in September 2020 when its source code was leaked online. An analysis by Consumer Reports found that the code contained hard-coded passwords and exposed the names and email addresses of over 150 students. The company acknowledged the leak but said no harm resulted. Students had been required to use the software, which performed facial recognition and recorded video during exams.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
A security researcher analyzed Proctorio's Chrome extension and found evidence that the system allows human agents to review students' room scans and live ID checks, contrary to Proctorio's claims that only professors can access recordings. The system flags students based on behavioral metrics and can terminate exams. The researcher also raised concerns about discrimination against low-income students and privacy violations.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
A college student, Dana Jo, was flagged by ProctorU test proctoring software for talking during an exam, which she says was reading a question aloud. Her professor initially gave her a zero and placed an academic infraction on her record, jeopardizing her scholarships. After reviewing a video recording, the professor apologized, reinstated her grade, and removed the infraction. ProctorU's CEO stated that the incident highlights the importance of video recordings for review.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that Airbnb's smart-pricing algorithm increased the revenue gap between White and Black hosts, even though it narrowed the gap among hosts who adopted it. The algorithm, which sets daily prices automatically, was adopted by fewer Black hosts, so its suggested prices were closer to the optimum for White hosts. The researchers said the tool could reduce racial disparities only if more Black hosts adopted it.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
