  When algorithmic harms emerge, a reasonable response is to stop using the
algorithm to resolve concerns related to fairness, accountability,
transparency, and ethics (FATE). However, just because an algorithm is removed
does not imply its FATE-related issues cease to exist. In this paper, we
introduce the notion of the "algorithmic imprint" to illustrate how merely
removing an algorithm does not necessarily undo or mitigate its consequences.
We operationalize this concept and its implications through the 2020 events
surrounding the algorithmic grading of the General Certificate of Education
(GCE) Advanced (A) Level exams, an internationally recognized UK-based high
school diploma exam administered in over 160 countries. While the algorithmic
standardization was ultimately removed due to global protests, we show how the
removal failed to undo the algorithmic imprint on the sociotechnical
infrastructures that shape students', teachers', and parents' lives. These
events provide a rare chance to analyze the state of the world both with and
without algorithmic mediation. We situate our case study in Bangladesh to
illustrate how algorithms made in the Global North disproportionately impact
stakeholders in the Global South. Chronicling more than a year-long community
engagement consisting of 47 inter-views, we present the first coherent timeline
of "what" happened in Bangladesh, contextualizing "why" and "how" they happened
through the lenses of the algorithmic imprint and situated algorithmic
fairness. Analyzing these events, we highlight how the contours of the
algorithmic imprints can be inferred at the infrastructural, social, and
individual levels. We share conceptual and practical implications around how
imprint-awareness can (a) broaden the boundaries of how we think about
algorithmic impact, (b) inform how we design algorithms, and (c) guide us in AI
governance.
