The record

Where automated decisions went wrong

Incidents gathered from public reporting around the world. Each one links to the articles it came from. None of it is a finding that anyone broke the law.

Reports people file about their own experience are not shown here and never will be without their agreement. Tell us what happened to you.

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332 incidents closest to “Citizen Self-Service Portal” · matched on meaning · public reporting

WF-ZV5P971 Dec 2022

Cybercheck AI tool challenged in Akron homicide cases

Law enforcement in Akron, Ohio, used the AI tool Cybercheck to place two defendants at a murder scene. Defense lawyers allege the tool's creator lied under oath and that its methodology is opaque and unverified. Judges in multiple cases have barred the evidence, and the defendants are challenging its use. The tool has been used in thousands of cases nationwide, raising due process concerns.

Company involved
Akron Police Department
AI system involved
Cybercheck

3 source articles · read the reporting →

Whiteside County sergeant misused license plate reader data, resigned; state police reviewing case: Sheriff - Shaw Local

The system collected license plate data on vehicles, and the sergeant accessed it without a legitimate law enforcement purpose.

Company involved
Flock Safety
AI system involved
Flock Safety ALPR

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-QGL9US27 May 2026

Boulder police chief faces class action over Flock cameras' warrantless surveillance - Courthouse News

The system captured and stored license plate data and vehicle movements of Boulder residents and commuters, making it searchable by law enforcement without a warrant.

Company involved
Boulder Police Department
AI system involved
Flock Safety

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 →

WF-VWUE0E24 Sep 2026

Overnight, Meta deleted all her accounts. AI customer service won’t let her reach a human - CBC

Meta's AI moderation permanently disabled Jasmine Ault's Facebook and Instagram accounts, and AI customer service chatbots denied her appeal without human review.

Company involved
Meta

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-JJP7IB30 Mar 2026

Re an Office-Holder; Cork v Smith (Chancery): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Public admonishment; SRA Referral

The AI system generated a non-existent insolvency rule that was submitted to the court, misleading the court.

Company involved
Pinsent Masons LLP

1 source article · 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 →

WF-H0HWW84 Aug 2026

Registered Trustees of the Assemblies of God Gospel Church International (AGGCI) v Registrar of Societies and Others (High Court): AI-hallucinated…

The AI generated non-existent court case citations that were presented to the High Court, misleading the judge and opposing counsel.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-88658811 Jun 2026

Sent. n. 1027/2026 (Corte Suprema di Cassazione): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Monetary Sanction; Adverse Costs Order

The AI system generated fake legal precedents that were included in a lawyer's court filing, misleading the court and opposing party.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-HO2ZAN25 Aug 2026

Solicitors Regulation Authority Ltd v Abhishek Kumar (Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Counsel struck off the Register…

AI-generated false legal citations were submitted to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, misleading the tribunal and the regulator.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-Q4U8TB1 Jun 2016

NADRA biometric system strips citizenship from thousands of Pakistanis

Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) operates a biometric identification system that underpins citizenship. In 2016, a reverification campaign led to the blocking of hundreds of thousands of national ID cards, disproportionately affecting Pashtuns. Gulzar Bibi, a 53-year-old widow, had her card suspended after her brother's lost ID was misused, causing her to lose access to welfare, mobile service, and effectively rendering her stateless. Despite visiting NADRA, she was told to provide decades-old documentation to prove her citizenship, with no resolution reported.

Company involved
National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)
AI system involved
NADRA biometric identification system

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-QMVDDA26 Jan 2017

Mother of robodebt suicide victim tells inquiry of government stonewalling

Jennifer Miller, whose son Rhys Cauzzo took his own life in 2017 while facing Centrelink debts of about $17,000, told the robodebt royal commission that the government stonewalled her for years. The commission heard that Cauzzo's debt was unlawfully calculated using income averaging and that no vulnerability indicator was on his file despite his mental health conditions. Miller said she felt vindicated by the commission's findings, while the former human services minister Alan Tudge had claimed the department acted appropriately. The robodebt scheme, which ran from 2015 to 2019, ended in a $1.8bn settlement after a class action.

Company involved
Department of Human Services (Services Australia)
AI system involved
Robodebt

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-SVB9EC14 Feb 2022

Zhihu denies using behaviour perception system to monitor employees

Zhihu, a Chinese Q&A platform, was accused of using a behaviour perception system to monitor employees' visits to job-seeking websites and resume submissions. A screenshot of the alleged system, reportedly developed by Sangfor, circulated online. Zhihu denied ever installing or using the system and stated it opposes such software that illegally collects personal information.

Company involved
Zhihu
AI system involved
Behaviour perception system

4 source articles · read the reporting →

Passport photo checker falsely flags black man's lips as open mouth

Joshua Bada, a 28-year-old black man from west London, attempted to renew his passport online using the UK government's automated photo checker. The system falsely flagged his photo, stating that his mouth appeared open, because it mistook his lips for an open mouth. Bada was forced to explain in a comment box that his mouth was closed and he had big lips. The Home Office acknowledged the issue and said it would work to improve the system.

Company involved
Home Office

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Whitebridge AI faces complaint over false reputation reports

Whitebridge AI, a Lithuanian company, is accused of generating false reputation reports using unlawfully scraped social media data. The reports contained false warnings for 'sexual nudity' and 'dangerous political content'. Privacy group Noyb filed a complaint with the Lithuanian data protection authority, alleging violations of the GDPR. The complainants sought access to their data but received no response, and were later required to provide a qualified electronic signature to correct errors.

Company involved
Whitebridge AI

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-GNY7M91 May 2015

Poland's Ministry of Labor profiles unemployed with discriminatory algorithm

In May 2015, Poland's Ministry of Labor and Social Policy introduced an algorithmic system to profile unemployed people into three categories based on their readiness to work, location, and disabilities. The system is accused of being discriminatory and lacking transparency, as it uses default criteria that may lead to social exclusion. A report by the Panoptykon Foundation in October 2015 highlighted these issues and recommended reforms, including granting the right to appeal.

Company involved
Ministry of Labor and Social Policy

10 source articles · read the reporting →

Oregon child welfare agency stops using algorithm to screen families for investigations

The Oregon Department of Human Services announced it will stop using its Safety at Screening Tool algorithm, which helped hotline workers decide which families to investigate for child abuse and neglect. The decision followed concerns about racial bias and disparities, as the algorithm was inspired by a Pennsylvania tool that had flagged a disproportionate number of Black children. The agency will replace the algorithm with a new Structured Decision Making model.

Company involved
Oregon Department of Human Services
AI system involved
Safety at Screening Tool

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-BZ7M5L1 Jan 2016

Tenant screening software denies housing to disabled Latino man in Connecticut

In 2016, Carmen Arroyo requested to move her disabled son Mikhail into a larger apartment in the same complex. The landlord, WinnResidential, used CoreLogic's CrimSafe tenant screening software, which flagged a dropped retail theft charge against Mikhail as disqualifying. The landlord rejected the application without explanation. Arroyo sued CoreLogic and WinnResidential under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Housing Act, alleging that the software disproportionately excludes people of colour. The case was scheduled for trial in August 2021.

Company involved
WinnResidential
AI system involved
CrimSafe

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-FH40TB1 Jan 2022

Scottish Prison Service freed eight life prisoners due to risk assessment system error

The Scottish Prison Service's Level of Service and Case Management System failed to update risk assessments when new information was entered, leading to incorrect risk scores for 495 closed cases and 285 open cases. As a result, eight prisoners serving life for murder or rape were granted temporary release without accurate risk assessments. Justice Secretary Keith Brown acknowledged the error and stated that the cases would be reviewed. Opposition politicians called for an apology, claiming the releases put the public at risk.

Company involved
Scottish Prison Service
AI system involved
Level of Service and Case Management System

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-XFAIXB1 Jan 2014

Dutch Tax Authority discriminated against dual nationality applicants for child care benefits using automated risk system.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) found that the Benefits Department of the Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) unlawfully processed the dual nationality of 1.4 million applicants for child care benefits. The data was used as an indicator in an automated risk-scoring system that flagged applications as high-risk, which was unnecessary and discriminatory. The AP concluded that the processing violated the GDPR and was discriminatory. The AP completed its fact-finding and will consider imposing a sanction.

Company involved
Belastingdienst

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-4RZUE65 Dec 2023

Civitai dropped by cloud provider OctoML over CSAM image generation

Civitai, an AI image generation platform, was dropped by its cloud computing provider OctoML after an investigation by 404 Media found it was being used to generate images that could be categorized as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The platform also faced scrutiny for nonconsensual deepfakes of celebrities and private citizens, primarily women. Civitai added new moderation filters in response, but OctoML terminated the business relationship.

Company involved
Civitai
AI system involved
Civitai

8 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-UDDP7B6 Dec 2017

Illinois DCFS ends unreliable predictive analytics program for child abuse risk

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services ended its Rapid Safety Feedback program, which used data mining to predict child abuse risk, after the agency's director called the technology unreliable. The system, developed by Eckerd Connects and Mindshare Technology, assigned risk scores to children but failed to flag several high-profile child deaths. The program was also criticised for overwhelming caseworkers with alerts and for potential bias against poor children of colour. DCFS decided not to renew the contract.

Company involved
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
AI system involved
Rapid Safety Feedback

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-W4TQ2K1 Oct 2022

DOJ examines Allegheny County child welfare AI screening tool for disability bias

The Justice Department is scrutinizing the Allegheny Family Screening Tool, an AI system used by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to assess risk for families reported for child welfare concerns. A father with an intellectual disability, represented by attorney Robin Frank, filed a complaint alleging the algorithm discriminates against families with disabilities by using disability-related data points. The county denies awareness of concerns and says the tool helps predict risk, but critics argue it hardens bias. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division is investigating.

Company involved
Allegheny County Department of Human Services
AI system involved
Allegheny Family Screening Tool

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-CB6PG11 Jan 2023

Paraná schools use European facial recognition to mark attendance, risking welfare for false absences

Since 2023, the Paraná state education department in Brazil has deployed facial recognition software from Slovak company Innovatrics in over 1,700 schools to automate attendance for nearly one million children. The system has made errors, marking present students as absent. Because attendance records generated by the algorithm affect eligibility for the Bolsa Família welfare program, false absences could threaten families' benefits. In April 2025, the state's public prosecutor filed a legal challenge alleging the system violates Brazilian law; the case is pending.

Company involved
Paraná state education department (Secretaria da Educação do Paraná)
AI system involved
LRCO Paraná

8 source articles · read the reporting →

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