This seems to be a US thing ... I had to solve a problem in a given time frame at two interviews at two different companies ... no one watching - but available

This seems to be a US thing ... I had to solve a problem in a given time frame at two interviews at two different companies ... no one watching - but available for questions - internet access, no restriction. Like ... a real World scenario. No idea why whiteboard interviews were / are a thing. Edit: based in Switzerland