Thread by @astroehlein

The EU’s plan to regulate artificial intelligence is ill-equipped to protect people from flawed algorithms that deprive them of lifesaving benefits & discriminate against vulnerable populations.

New Human Rights Watch report: hrw.org/news/2021/11/1…

“The EU’s proposal does not do enough to protect people from algorithms that unfairly strip them of the benefits they need to support themselves or find a job. The proposal also fails to put an end to abusive surveillance and profiling of people living in poverty.” - @AmosToh

In some EU countries, algorithms have become a key tool for rationalizing welfare cuts. In Austria, the government's algorithm to predict employment prospects cuts some people off from the support they need to find a job, jeopardizing their right to an adequate standard of living

Surveillance technologies that intensify monitoring & profiling of people on low incomes are also spreading across Europe.

In the Netherlands, the government rolled out a risk scoring program in predominantly low-income neighborhoods, in an effort to predict people’s likelihood of engaging in benefits or tax fraud.

A government suspended the program after a court ruled that it violated people’s privacy. But there's fresh alarm about a bill in parliament that would authorize data sharing between public authorities and the private sector to detect fraud and potentially revive risk scoring.

In Ireland, the government requires people to register for a digital identity card to gain access to welfare benefits and other public services. The registration process – which uses facial recognition – is unnecessary & unduly intrusive.

The EU’s proposal is a weak defence against these dangers.