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Algorithms Policed Welfare Systems For Years. Now They're Under Fire for Bias
Human rights groups have launched a new legal challenge against the use of algorithms to detect error and fraud in France's welfare system, amid claims that single mothers are disproportionately affected.
A coalition of human rights groups have today launched legal action against the French government over its use of algorithms to detect miscalculated welfare payments, alleging they discriminate against disabled people and single mothers. The French welfare agency, The CNAF, analyzes the personal data of more than 30 million people—those claiming government support as well as the people they live with and their family members, according to the litigation, filed to France’s top administrative court on October 15. The CNAF agency, which is in charge of distributing financial aid including housing, disability and child benefits, did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to WIRED's question about whether the algorithm currently in use had significantly changed since the 2014 version.
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