Algeria temporarily blocked all forms of social media access including Facebook and Twitter in the country to curb cheats from posting online exam paper leaks, according to a report by Reuters.
Almost half the students were forced to retake the baccalaureat (Secondary school final assessment) exam on Sunday after the initial exam was tarnished by social media paper leaks.
An official source confirmed to a state news agency that the temporary ban on social media was directly related to curb online cheating ahead of Sunday’s exam.
The source also explained that this measure was taken to protect students from the ‘publication of false papers for these exams’.
Other than that, the report also pointed out that access through the internet was also disrupted on Sunday.
Algeria has had a horrid past when it comes to dealing with online cheating and discrepancies related to the baccalaureat exam in recent years.
Earlier this month authorities had also arrested numerous people, including a few officials from national education offices, as part of an investigation related to how parts of the 2016 high school exams were leaded online.
