States of Surveillance

European Data Mining in the Name of Welfare-Fraud Detection

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently become all the rage around the world, filling some people with awe and others with terror. Just like any new technology, it can be used for good or for nefarious purposes. And right on schedule, governments worldwide are conducting experiments with AI, often without public awareness. While there has been limited reporting on the topic, the focus has mainly been on predictive policing and risk assessments within the criminal justice system. However, there is an area where even more extensive experiments are taking place, and they are targeting vulnerable populations with minimal scrutiny.

Opaque Technologies

Extensive welfare-fraud detection systems are now being...