Where automated decisions went wrong

Dahua Exposed for Uyghur Tracking Software in Surveillance Systems

Dahua Technology's publicly available SDK was found to contain code for detecting Uyghur ethnicity, enabling Chinese police to covertly track the persecuted minority. The revelation led to widespread criticism, and Dahua removed the SDK after being contacted by IPVM but did not comment. The company had previously been sanctioned by the US for complicity in human rights abuses against Uyghurs, and its software is part of a massive surveillance apparatus in Xinjiang.

Company involved

Dahua Technology

AI system involved

Dahua SDK

1 source article · read the reporting →

France uses AI to monitor mask-wearing on public transport

France has deployed AI software from startup DatakaLab in the Paris metro to check if passengers are wearing face masks. The system generates anonymous statistics on mask compliance to help authorities anticipate COVID-19 outbreaks, and the company states it does not identify or punish individuals. The trial is part of measures making masks mandatory on public transport, with fines considered for non-compliance. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the spread of AI surveillance during the pandemic.

1 source article · read the reporting →

Arizona Unemployment Applicants Required to Submit Facial Recognition

People applying for unemployment benefits in Arizona must verify their identity via facial recognition software provided by ID.me. If the system fails to match a selfie to a photo ID, applicants can be denied benefits unless they successfully complete a video chat with a referee. A class-action lawsuit filed in June 2021 alleges that the practice violates due process rights and discriminates against people of colour.

Company involved

Arizona Department of Economic Security

AI system involved

ID.me

1 source article · read the reporting →

Thailand halts iris-scan crypto scheme and deletes 1.2m biometric records

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) and the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) ordered a company to stop collecting iris data and delete 1.2 million citizen records. The PDPC found that the operator used crypto-token rewards as an incentive for consent, meaning consent was not freely given, and the system raised concerns about data being used beyond its declared purpose. The company stated it had complied with all Thai regulations and intends to continue discussions with authorities.

Company involved

The company behind the iris-scan system (not named)

AI system involved

Iris-scan system

4 source articles · read the reporting →

Sainsbury's ejects man misidentified by facial recognition software

Warren Rajah was told to leave a Sainsbury's supermarket in Elephant and Castle, London, after staff incorrectly identified him as an offender flagged by Facewatch facial recognition software. The error occurred at the human verification stage, not the technology itself. Sainsbury's apologised and offered a £75 shopping voucher, and Facewatch confirmed Rajah was not on its database. Rajah criticised the lack of explanation and recourse, and expressed concern for vulnerable customers.

Company involved

Sainsbury's

AI system involved

Facewatch

5 source articles · read the reporting →

AI chatbots recommended unlicensed casinos to UK users

An investigation by the Guardian and Investigate Europe found that five major AI chatbots—ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, and Meta AI—recommended unlicensed online casinos to UK users. Some chatbots also advised on bypassing consumer protection systems like GamStop and financial checks. The companies acknowledged the findings and said they are reviewing safeguards. Regulators expressed concern about the potential harm to vulnerable users.

Company involved

Multiple technology companies (Microsoft, Google, Meta, OpenAI, X)

AI system involved

Copilot, Gemini, Meta AI, ChatGPT, Grok

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Edinburgh Woman Loses £17,000 in Deepfake Romance Scam

A 77-year-old retired lecturer from Edinburgh lost £17,000 after being deceived by deepfake videos in an online romance scam. The victim, Nikki MacLeod, believed she was in a relationship with a woman named Alla Morgan and sent money via gift cards, bank transfer, and PayPal. She later realised the videos were fake and is warning others about the use of AI by scammers.

6 source articles · read the reporting →

Hackers Extract Encryption Keys from Flock Surveillance Cameras, Revealing Person Detection Alongside Vehicle Tracking - finance.biggo.com

The system detected and recorded images of vehicles and people, affecting individuals in public spaces.

Company involved

Flock Safety

AI system involved

Flock Safety ALPR cameras

1 source article · read the reporting →

Italian bank (Fideuram / Intesa Sanpaolo) loses about 95 million euro to AI voice-clone scam

The AI-generated voice deceived the chairman into authorizing transfers of about 95 million euros.

1 source article · read the reporting →

Giggle for Girls v Tickle [2026]: AI Facial Recognition, Gender Identity & Discrimination - Legal Service India

The system excluded a transgender woman from a women-only social networking app based on her facial appearance.

Company involved

Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd

AI system involved

Giggle App

1 source article · read the reporting →

Spanish data regulator orders Worldcoin to stop processing biometric data in Spain

The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has ordered a precautionary measure against Tools for Humanity Corporation, the company behind Worldcoin, to cease collection and processing of personal data in Spain. The AEPD received complaints alleging insufficient information, collection of data from minors, and inability to withdraw consent. The regulator acted under GDPR Article 66.1 to prevent potentially irreparable harm to individuals' data protection rights.

Company involved

Tools for Humanity Corporation

AI system involved

Worldcoin

8 source articles · read the reporting →

Mr Craig Hadley wrongly accused of fraud at Sports Direct shop using Facewatch facial recognition.

Mr Craig Hadley was wrongly accused of being a fraudster at a Rotherham Sports Direct shop using facial recognition technology supplied by Facewatch. The system flagged him as a known fraudster, but the alert was later attributed to human error. Big Brother Watch, a privacy campaign group, has raised concerns about the lack of due process in such systems.

Company involved

Sports Direct

AI system involved

Facewatch

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Evolv backtracks on claimed UK government testing of AI weapons scanner

Evolv Technology, maker of AI-powered weapons scanners, backtracked on claims that its system had been tested by the UK government's National Protective Security Authority. The company had stated in a February 2024 press release that the NPSA concluded its Evolv Express system was highly effective at detecting firearms and weapons. After BBC News revealed the NPSA does not perform such testing, Evolv altered the language. The company is under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission over its marketing practices. Additionally, a past incident at a New York school where an Evolv scanner failed to detect a knife led to a stabbing; the victim is suing Evolv.

Company involved

Evolv Technology

AI system involved

Evolv Express

3 source articles · read the reporting →

Portuguese regulator suspends Worldcoin's biometric data collection

Portugal's data protection authority, CNPD, has ordered Worldcoin Foundation to suspend collection of iris, eye and facial biometric data in Portugal for 90 days. The regulator acted after receiving dozens of complaints about the collection of minors' data without parental consent, as well as deficiencies in the information provided to data subjects. More than 300,000 people in Portugal had reportedly provided their biometric data to Worldcoin in exchange for cryptocurrency tokens. The CNPD said the risk to fundamental rights was high and the measure was needed to prevent serious or irreparable harm.

Company involved

Worldcoin Foundation

AI system involved

Orb

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Carlisle woman, 82, dies after losing 35,000 pounds to Nigel Farage deepfake scam

The deepfake video convinced the victim to invest in a fraudulent scheme, leading to financial loss.

1 source article · read the reporting →

Trial of live facial recognition in London stations leads to a false positive and no arrests - AOL.ca

Trial of live facial recognition in London stations leads to a false positive and no arrests AOL.ca

1 source article · read the reporting →

Airbnb bans users in Australia using trustworthiness algorithm

Airbnb is accused of using an algorithm acquired from Trooly to score users' trustworthiness based on publicly available data, including social media and occupation. Several users in Australia, including a real estate worker and sex workers, report being banned from the platform without explanation or meaningful appeal. The company has not clarified how the algorithm is applied in Australia, and experts have raised concerns about discrimination and lack of transparency.

Company involved

Airbnb

AI system involved

Trooly

4 source articles · read the reporting →

Spinvox accused of using human transcribers for voice messages

Spinvox, a UK voice-to-text firm, is accused of using call centre staff in South Africa and the Philippines to transcribe the majority of user messages, contrary to claims of automated speech recognition. The BBC investigation revealed that human transcribers accessed private messages, including sensitive information. The company denied the allegations but the Information Commissioner's Office has contacted them regarding data protection compliance.

Company involved

Spinvox

AI system involved

D2 (the Brain)

4 source articles · read the reporting →

DFFH breaches privacy by using ChatGPT in child protection report

A child protection worker at the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) used ChatGPT to draft a Protection Application Report for the Children’s Court, entering sensitive personal information about a child. The generated content contained inaccuracies that downplayed risks to the child, and the information was disclosed to OpenAI overseas. An investigation by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner found DFFH failed to ensure accuracy and protect personal information, contravening IPPs 3.1 and 4.1. DFFH accepted the findings and must now block the use of ChatGPT by child protection workers under a compliance notice.

Company involved

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

AI system involved

ChatGPT

9 source articles · read the reporting →

Indore Play School Owner Loses Savings in AI Voice Cloning Fraud

A middle-aged woman in Indore, India, lost her entire savings of Rs 97,500 after a fraudster used AI voice cloning to impersonate her cousin, a police officer. The caller claimed a friend needed urgent cardiac surgery and requested money transfers via QR codes. The victim's teenage daughter made four transactions before they realised the money had not been credited. Police are investigating the incident as the first AI-driven voice cloning fraud in Madhya Pradesh.

3 source articles · read the reporting →

IWF discovers thousands of AI-generated child sexual abuse images

In September 2023, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) investigated 11,108 AI-generated images on a dark web forum dedicated to child sexual abuse. Of these, 2,978 were confirmed as illegal, with many depicting real children who had previously been abused. The IWF warned that the technology threatens to overwhelm the internet and that criminals are using AI to create new images of real victims.

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Bengaluru woman loses Rs 35 lakh in AI deepfake trading scam

A 79-year-old woman in Bengaluru was defrauded of nearly Rs 35 lakh by scammers operating a fake AI trading platform. The fraudsters used deepfake videos of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy to endorse the platform and lured her through a Facebook advertisement. Over eight months, they showed fake profits on a website and then extorted more money by threatening a fabricated money-laundering case. The victim has filed a complaint with the Central CEN Crime police, who are investigating.

1 source article · read the reporting →

Engineer.ai accused of exaggerating AI capabilities and using human engineers

Engineer.ai, an AI startup based in Los Angeles and Delhi, was accused by The Wall Street Journal of using human engineers to build software apps while claiming the process was automated. The report cited current and former employees who said the company inflated the role of AI. Founder Sachin Dev Duggal denied the allegations, stating that the company always described itself as a human-assisted AI platform. A former executive filed a wrongful-termination complaint alleging the company exaggerated its technological development.

Company involved

Engineer.ai

6 source articles · read the reporting →

UK ICO issues preliminary enforcement notice to Snap over My AI privacy risks

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a preliminary enforcement notice to Snap, the owner of Snapchat, over its AI chatbot My AI. The ICO provisionally found that Snap failed to adequately assess the privacy risks to users, particularly children aged 13 to 17, before launching the feature. Snap has until 27 October to make representations before a final decision. If enforced, Snap could face a fine of up to 4% of global turnover or £17.5 million, and may be required to stop processing data for My AI in the UK.

Company involved

Snap

AI system involved

My AI

8 source articles · read the reporting →