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AIs new cottage industry: Lawyers defending students accused of cheating
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When college students seek out attorney Adrienne Hahn, they’re often petrified and desperate: An instructor has accused them of using artificial intelligence to cheat.
Suddenly, students are racing to successfully defend themselves or risk the implosion of their college career. In some cases, sanctions that result from an academic integrity violation, such as a semester-long suspension, have devastating implications. After all, graduate schools, prospective employers, licensing boards, and the government often consider cheating disqualifying.
“Any of those consequences follow the student from that period on, unless you negotiate that away, somehow,” said Hahn, founder of the education law firm Hahn Legal Group, APC.
While there’s no tally of how many American college students have faced AI cheating accusations this academic year or previously, the legal firms that specialize in education law are very busy handling their cases. Some of their clients are wealthy, attend the nation’s most prestigious universities, and can afford legal representation.
Others come from modest backgrounds, are enrolled at state colleges, and have few financial resources. Hahn said the fallout can be particularly devastating for students attending college on a scholarship.
What these students all share in common is the real fear that AI cheating accusations will destroy their future before it’s even begun.
AI cheating accusation at school: getting to the truth
Hahn’s firm represents students across California. She said the volume of their inquiries has skyrocketed in the past two years.
Many students accused of cheating didn’t actually use AI to complete an assignment or test, Hahn says, or they don’t realize their use of AI violated a policy that may not have been clearly communicated.
Some students do use AI, but share extenuating circumstances. One student Hahn represented incorporated AI into their classwork at a moment of intense personal distress: They held down multiple jobs and both of their parents were experiencing health crises. The school administration was sympathetic to the situation and avoided an overly punitive consequence after Hahn lobbied against it.
But there are students who don’t disclose unfavorable or damning information about their AI use, only for Hahn’s team to discover it during the investigation process.
“I can’t give you the right advice unless I know the truth,” she said. “I still have clients who lie to me. That’s a waste of their money and time.”
The cost for hiring representation varies based on the case, but it can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands when a student decides to involve the courts.
How a lawyer can help
At LLF National Law Firm, there are as many as 250 clients at any given time working with counsel on AI-related academic integrity violations, said Thomas Terrill, director of the firm’s National Education Defense Practice Group.
Terrill said AI-related cheating cases now make up a substantial portion of LLF National Law Firm’s caseload. Like clockwork, inquiries spike during midterm and final exams.
While lawyers can’t represent students at their school’s administrative hearings, Terrill said that legal expertise can “level” an uneven playing field in which administrators hold tremendous power over students’ lives.
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In Terrill’s experience, some schools try to fairly evaluate AI cheating accusations. Yet, he’s also dealt with rushed investigations, limited access to evidence, and presumption of student fault based on a misunderstanding of how AI works.
“Many students feel they are in the position of proving their innocence rather than the institution meeting a clear burden of proof,” Terrill said in an email.
The lawyers Mashable interviewed had strong opinions on this dynamic. Andrew Miltenberg, the senior litigation partner at the law firm Nesenoff & Miltenberg, observed that the balance of power tilts away from the student and toward the “faculty fiefdom.” Some professors, he said, enjoy surprising leeway in making and adjudicating AI cheating charges.
Miltenberg characterized the AI programs they rely on to “check” for cheating or plagiarism as “primitive” and prone to false positives.
What lawyers recommend to accused students
Once a student is accused, they need a defense strategy.
LLF National Law Firm advises its clients to gather evidence of their authorship and work process, which can sometimes be substantiated by Google Docs or Microsoft Word history. Timestamps, outlines, notes, and research materials are also important.
Terrill said the firm reviews metadata, compares a student’s writing samples, and looks over the instructor’s communications about the assignment in question.
Other factors, like neurodivergence and being a non-native English speaker, matter too. AI detection tools, which faculty often rely on, may falsely flag those students’ work more frequently than their neurotypical, English-speaking peers, according to Terrill.
If the charge is based on the finding of an AI detection tool, Terrill said it’s crucial to know which program, because it may allow the student to challenge its reliability.
Preparing for a rapid timeline
Students don’t have much time to collect the necessary evidence, said Miltenberg.
That’s because, in his experience, academic integrity cases unfold much faster than other misconduct or integrity cases, which may take months to investigate because they involve sex discrimination, harassment, or sexual assault.
“It happens boom, boom, boom,” Miltenberg said of AI cheating allegations.
A student could be accused on a Tuesday, meet with an administration official two days later, and be given an ultimatum that Friday. If they don’t agree to a sanction, the charge will move to a hearing board, an institutional panel that reviews the case and decides the student’s fate.
“It really moves very fast,” Miltenberg said. “So it doesn’t lend itself to someone getting their balance after what most students feel is a gut punch.”
What resolution looks like
Hahn said administrators told students she later represented that they shouldn’t hire a lawyer. She believes that’s largely because university and college investigation offices are “completely buried” by AI cheating cases and want them resolved as soon as possible. Legal representation can, of course, extend the process with requests for evidence and so on.
Hahn described one case in which a student was accused of AI use in a math assignment because they didn’t cite a specific formula. The professor failed the student as a consequence, an outcome that Hahn managed to get overturned.
In some instances of disclosed AI use, Hahn and her team know the administrators and can appeal to them for an alternative sanction before the hearing that won’t jeopardize the student’s future. That might stringent parameters for continuing their education, such as probation or a required medical leave of absence.
“The dismissal or failures — that will follow them for life,” she said. “If they can get back in and finish their degree — it was a bad moment in their life, but they can overcome it. People have bad moments in their lives.”
Leniency, however, is not much of an option if the student has a history of cheating or academic integrity violations.
Why suing is complicated
Lawsuits are a dicey strategy because courts will not grant students anonymity in these cases, Miltenberg said. So suing the school means a student must “out” themselves to “get justice,” he added. The resulting court documents will be publicly searchable and include the student’s name in association with an academic integrity violation.
Miltenberg said the way these cases are currently handled puts every student in a potential bind.
“There is no clear path at any institution right now,” he said, noting that any appearance of cheating can trigger an investigation. At the same time, what that looks like is subjective to the faculty member or teaching assistant who made the allegation.
Entertainment
The best 9 dating apps for men who are tired of being alone
Read our full review of Grindr.
Read our full review of Grindr XTRA.
Grindr is the app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men. Hookups, dates, friends, something serious — whatever you’re looking for, Grindr connects you with other guys in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s great for exploring the local scene, especially when you’re traveling. Bottom line: If you’re a guy into guys, Grindr’s where it’s at. It’s a place to be yourself and find what you’re looking for (no matter what that might be).
One important note: While Grindr used to be one of our favorite free dating apps, the free version is becoming more annoying to use as Grindr pushes users toward paid plans.
You know what you’re getting with Grindr: some serious attention, some pushy messages, and plenty of dick pics. But finding and meeting up with men on Tinder or OkCupid isn’t always easy, especially if you’re in a small town with a meager queer community. Whether it’s your first time with a guy and you want someone experienced, or you’re the experienced guy, it’s nice to have Grindr in your back pocket.
And it’s not just for hookups. Plenty of couples meet on Grindr. One survey even found that over half of Grindr users believe they can find love on the app. Grindr for Equality also advocates for sexual health and LGBTQ+ safety. The company has also been working to make the app safer, using AI and a dedicated moderation team to crack down on underage users.
The app is also leaning heavily into new tech. As part of its “AI-first” evolution, Grindr recently launched “EDGE,” an ultra-premium subscription powered by its proprietary AI, gAI (pronounced “gay-eye”). For a staggering price tag that can reach up to $499.99 per month, depending on the specific pilot city’s test pricing, “EDGE” is designed to deliver a higher-signal experience with less scrolling. It includes features like “A-List” (an AI-driven recap of meaningful chats and missed connections), personalized profile recommendations, and detailed “Profile Insights” like response rates and active hours. For in-the-moment meetups, the “Right Now” feature has been upgraded with a Sniffies-style “Map View,” a live map of guys nearby who are ready to connect, though it’s only available in select cities for now.
Of course, new features sometimes mean new bugs and paywalls. Bisexual men have also reported mixed experiences on the app, including biphobia. This thread of Reddit users has experienced it in some way, describing the disappointment they feel from not being supported by their LGBTQ+ community and getting messages like “vaginas are gross” at the first mention of being bisexual. This is part of a larger challenge the platform faces with its content moderation. The app has struggled with inconsistent policies, as seen in its brief ban (and subsequent reversal) of the phrase “no Zionists” in user profiles in late July 2025.
Entertainment
How AdultFriendFinder subscriptions appear on your bank statement
One anxiety when you’re signing up for a dating site, especially one of the more spicy ones like AdultFriendFinder, is the digital paper trail. We get it, this kind of thing is personal and everyone deserves their privacy when it comes to online activity.
There are lots of reasons to feel cagey about the digital paper trail. Perhaps you’re married or in a relationship, or maybe you and your ex still haven’t separated your financial lives. It could be that you just don’t like the idea of your bank teller or financial advisor knowing about your online activities — whatever the reason, it’s your perogative.
It’s perfectly natural to worry about what your dating app subscription will look like on your bank statement, especially if that subscription service contains the word “adult” — folks can be super judgy about this stuff.
Hookup apps for everyone
AdultFriendFinder
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readers’ pick for casual connections
Tinder
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top pick for finding hookups
Hinge
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popular choice for regular meetups
Credit: AdultFriendFinder
Thankfully, AdultFriendFinder has anticipated this particular issue. So, if you do decide to upgrade from a free membership to a paid one — whether you opt for their Gold or VIP subscription, which have their own sets of features and benefits — your monthly billing statement will only show up as FFNHelp.com*FRIENDF.
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It’s a relatively cryptic and innocuous name that won’t arouse undue suspicion or unfair judgment (not that you should have to worry about that anyway — what you get up on consenting dating sites is your business).
Do be aware that AdultFriendFinder subscriptions default to “auto renew,” so if you purchase a membership and want to cancel, you’ll have to actively disable the auto-renew function. Otherwise you risk having the mysterious FFNHelp.com*FRIENDF pop up on your statement month after month.
But what if even that isn’t good enough for you?
If you’re especially cautious — or especially paranoid — you can bypass the bank statements entirely by paying with a gift card or a cash, check, or money order (available only to users in the U.S.). You can even use an e-wallet option like AirTM. Residents of the UK can opt to pay by SMS.
If avoiding a digital paper trail is your top priority and privacy is paramount, you’re much better off using these payment options and not handing over your credit card details to begin with. Whatever you choose, AFF is safeguarding your anonymity.
Entertainment
How to unblock porn sites and stream porn anonymously
Online privacy comes at a premium — your personal information and internet habits are more valuable and more important than ever before. Everyone wants to know what you get up to, and where you’re doing it online, whether it’s businesses looking to target you with ads and mailing junk, or scammers who want to exploit you. That’s why we recommend you do everything possible to protect yourself online. And if you watch porn, as so many of us do, you should be especially vigilant.
We’re going to take a wild guess that you’d prefer to be protected from the prying eyes of advertisers, your internet service provider (ISP), and your roommates when you’re engaged in the intimate business of visiting porn sites. If sounds right then we recommend investing in a VPN. These cybersecurity services provide everything you need to unblock porn sites and then stream anonymously.
What is a VPN?
VPNs offer a robust defense for both your data and identity on the internet. VPNs do this by creating a private network that can hide your IP address and connecting you to servers in other countries, which prevents unwanted eyes from spying on your digital and real world location. This ensures that all of your online activity is untraceable and secure.
If it sounds complicated, it’s helpful to think of all your online traffic travelling through an encrypted tunnel. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside the tunnel is protected by an impenetrable wall, which holds back online threats such as viruses, hackers, malware, and scammers.
Do you need a VPN for porn?
There are two key reasons to get yourself a VPN for porn: Anonymity and access.
The first reason is perhaps the most important. If you’re concerned about your ISP, housemates, landlord, or a more nefarious individual accessing your data, a VPN is a sensible choice. Any sort of activity on an unsecured WiFi network leaves your private information and browsing habits exposed to anyone who knows how to access them.
Even a porn site can track your activity if you’re unprotected, and bombard you with targeted ads and content. Pornhub tracks IP addresses for example, which means it can collect information about your site usage — something you might not want tracked and fired back at you. But a VPN will prevent that by keeping your IP address hidden.
Maintaining your privacy and anonymity is the primary reason for signing up to a VPN, but if you’re in a location that blocks porn sites a VPN can also help access your favorite sites. A VPN can bypass these restrictions by connecting you to a server in another location, allowing you to circumnavigate firewalls and stream porn sites from anywhere in the world.
What features should you consider when selecting a VPN?
There are a number of different factors to consider before you pick a VPN for porn. Here are some of the VPN features and functions to know about:
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Connection speed — VPNs generally produce a drop in your connection speed, but you shouldn’t accept any service that sees a major drop. Don’t choose a VPN that impacts your connection speed to the point that you can’t stream porn without disruption.
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Encryption — There are different levels of encryption, and while it’s important to take note of the grade provided by your VPN, the best services will all offer powerful protection for your data. This is obviously vital when navigating porn sites because you need to know that your data is secure.
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Number of connections — Some VPNs let you connect an unlimited number of devices with the same account, while others limit you to a certain number or just a single device. Look for services that offer multiple simultaneous connections so you can stay secure on all your devices at the same time. You may wish to stream porn on a number of devices, so it’s best to secure everything with the same account.
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Privacy policy — This is something that some users might take for granted, but you need to pay special attention to the data-handling, storage, and usage practices of a VPN. These practices should be clearly laid out in a privacy policy, and if they aren’t, you should not subscribe. Most VPNs require access to your IP address, online transactions, and browsing history, plus your personal details when you sign up. Your chosen VPN should not store these details under any circumstances, as that would negate the whole principle of anonymity.
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Server network — The top VPNs provide access to literally thousands of geographically diverse servers. This is useful because you should always be able to find a stable and speedy connection for streaming porn.
You also need to consider things like price and subscription plans, but these features are a good place to start when selecting a particular VPN service. Once you’ve picked a VPN, look at its selection of subscription plans.
Should you use free VPNs?
As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Cybersecurity is no different. There are plenty of free versions of popular VPNs, and free trials of VPNs with full access to premium features. The catch is that free versions usually come with limited data usage, meaning you can’t do much in the way of streaming or downloading — and the free trials don’t last very long. But trials allow you to get a feel for a VPN service before you committing your cash. Overall, a paid subscription is your best option for porn. Sorry about that.
What is the best VPN for porn?
There are lots of services offering similar packages, which makes it difficult to choose the best VPN for you and your specific internet needs. We’ve made things easier by researching all the best offers and lining up the below selection of VPNs for porn. We have found something for everyone and every budget, with popular services such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and CyberGhost VPN in this list.
These are the best VPNs for porn in 2026.
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