The anti-cheating software used by Cleveland State University was found to be unconstitutional by a judge.
Honorlock is a third-party "e-proctoring" tool that asks students to use a webcam.
Millions of students could be influenced by the decision. The use of Honorlock has taken off since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, with many more students taking exams remotely than before.
US district court judge J. Philip Calabrese decided in favor of the chemistry student.
According to Calabrese's ruling, Mr. Ogletree's privacy interests outweigh Cleveland State's interests in scanning his room.
Matthew Besser wrote that the decision was the first in the nation to protect students from unreasonable video searches of their homes before taking a remote test.
Privacy advocates have long argued Honorlock unfairly invades students' privacy.
Cleveland State University said that remote virtual room scans don't count as searches and that Ogletree could have opted out of the exam.
Calabrese argued that rooms scans go where people otherwise would not, at least not without a warrant or an invitation.
He said that room scans are not searches because the technology is used in general public use.
A judge ruled that scanning students' rooms is unconstitutional.
College students say they cry in exams and that they use heating eye tracking software.
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