CNIL says facial recognition trial in French high schools is illegal
The French data protection authority (CNIL) issued a non-binding opinion that a planned trial of facial recognition at two high schools in Nice and Marseille is illegal under the GDPR. The trial, approved by the South Region in December 2018, involved biometric portals to identify students. Digital rights groups, parents and teachers' unions opposed the experiment and filed a lawsuit. The CNIL stated that the system was too intrusive and that less intrusive methods could achieve the same purpose.
- Company involved
- South Region (Région Sud)
- AI system involved
- Cisco facial recognition system
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Newham Council fined £145,000 over leaked gang matrix data
Newham Council was fined £145,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office after a leaked unredacted gangs matrix, containing details of 203 suspected gang members, ended up in the hands of rival gang members via Snapchat. The leak occurred in January 2017 when a council employee emailed both redacted and unredacted versions to 44 recipients. The ICO found the breach was unnecessary and that the council failed to report it promptly. The council apologised and accepted the breach was not deliberate.
- Company involved
- Newham Council
- AI system involved
- Gangs matrix
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Kalala v. Coopérative d'habitation La Fraternité Micheloise (CS Québec): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Monetary Sanction
The AI generated fabricated case law that was included in a court filing, misleading the court and resulting in sanctions against the litigant.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Buenos Aires city government recuses judge who suspended facial recognition system
The Buenos Aires city government recused Judge Roberto Gallardo after he suspended the Sistema de Reconocimiento Facial de Prófugos, a facial recognition system used to identify and detain individuals with outstanding arrest warrants. The government claims the judge's ruling was politically motivated and that the system has helped capture over 1,600 fugitives. The government is challenging the suspension in court.
- Company involved
- Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
- AI system involved
- Sistema de Reconocimiento Facial de Prófugos
10 source articles · read the reporting →
UK councils use Covid OneView AI to harvest personal data for risk scoring
UK local authorities are using a system called Covid OneView, developed by data analytics firm Xantura, to harvest millions of personal details from council records. The system uses predictive analytics and AI to assign risk scores to households and individuals, aiming to identify those vulnerable to Covid or likely to break lockdown rules. Privacy campaigners and MPs have criticised the lack of transparency and the extent of data collection, which includes sensitive information such as debt levels, living arrangements, and even notes on unfaithful sex. Xantura and Barking and Dagenham Council have defended the system as compliant with data protection rules and focused on providing support.
- Company involved
- UK local authorities
- AI system involved
- Covid OneView
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Hong Kong government to impose health code app with red codes, sparking privacy fears
The Hong Kong government announced it will implement a China-style COVID-19 health code app, requiring real-name registration and assigning red, amber, or green codes to residents based on their health status. The system will restrict movement and access to public places for those with red codes. Critics fear the system could be used for political control and monitoring, citing examples from mainland China where health codes have been used to target dissidents. The government says the app is necessary for pandemic response.
- Company involved
- Hong Kong government
- AI system involved
- LeaveHomeSafe app
6 source articles · read the reporting →
X bot network used ChatGPT to spread political disinformation in Ghana's election
A network of 171 bot accounts on X is using ChatGPT to generate posts supporting Ghana's incumbent president, Mahamudu Bawumia, and his New Patriotic Party ahead of the December 7, 2024 election. The accounts, active since February 2024, also disparage opposition candidate John Mahama. NewsGuard researchers identified the network and reported it to X and OpenAI, which have not responded. Two accounts were suspended and two restricted.
- Company involved
- X
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Ramirez v. Humala (E.D. New York): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Monetary sanction jointly imposed on counsel and firm; order…
The AI generated nonexistent case citations that were filed in court, misleading the court and opposing counsel.
1 source article · read the reporting →
United States v. Hayes (E.D. California): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Formal Sanction Imposed + Written Reprimand
The AI-generated fictitious citation was submitted in a motion to unseal, affecting the defendant's legal proceedings.
- Company involved
- Federal Public Defender's Office, Eastern District of California
1 source article · read the reporting →
Facebook temporarily hid #ResignModi posts in India
On April 28, 2021, Facebook's automated moderation system temporarily hid posts containing the hashtag #ResignModi, which called for the resignation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The posts were hidden for about three hours before Facebook restored them, stating it was a mistake and not due to government pressure. The incident occurred during India's severe COVID-19 crisis and affected users in India, the US, Canada, and England.
- Company involved
- Facebook
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Michael L. Ruiz v. Magellan Financial & Insurance Services (2) (D. Arizona): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Formal public reprimand
AI-hallucinated fake quotations were included in court filings submitted by counsel Elizabeth Tate, misleading the court.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Aguilar v. The Crawford Group, Inc. (D. Massachusetts): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Adverse Costs Order; Pro hac vice status…
The AI generated fake legal citations that were included in a court filing, misleading the court and opposing counsel.
- Company involved
- Lindemann Law Firm
1 source article · read the reporting →
Garry Chapman v. City of Priceville, et al. (N.D. Alabama): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Public reprimand; Order to Notice
The AI generated fake legal citations that were submitted to a federal court, potentially misleading the judge and opposing counsel.
- Company involved
- Scott Morro
1 source article · read the reporting →
McCormick v. Texakoma Financial (E.D. Texas): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Public Reprimand; Monetary Sanction; Firmwide citation review; CLE
The AI generated fictitious legal citations and quotes that were included in a court filing, misleading the court and opposing counsel.
- Company involved
- Ginsburg Law Group, P.C.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Thomas Raynard James v. Detective Kevin Conley, et al. (S.D. Florida): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Bar Referral
AI generated hallucinated content in a court filing, affecting the legal process and the lawyers who filed it.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Hamburg deployed mass surveillance for G20 Summit
The city of Hamburg planned to use predictive policing software and facial recognition cameras for mass surveillance during the G20 Summit in July 2017. The surveillance was enforced by paramilitary means, creating a democracy-free zone. DiEM25 wrote an open letter to the Senate of Hamburg to protest the measures.
- Company involved
- Senate of Hamburg
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Met Police buys £3m retrospective facial recognition system
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has awarded a £3 million, four-year contract to Northgate Public Services for a new retrospective facial-recognition (RFR) system to be deployed within three months. RFR processes biometric information from historic CCTV, social media, and other images to identify suspects and missing persons, operating retroactively unlike live facial recognition. The procurement was approved by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime in August 2021. The MPS states that human-in-the-loop decision-making will be used, but digital rights groups and a former biometrics commissioner have raised concerns about potential discrimination, overrepresentation of marginalised groups in watch lists, and lack of a legislative framework.
- Company involved
- Metropolitan Police Service
- AI system involved
- Retrospective facial-recognition software
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Mazaheri v Law Society of Ontario (Law Society Tribunal (ON)): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Adverse Costs Order
AI generated fabricated legal citations in a court filing by Shahryar Mazaheri.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Kerala AI traffic camera wrongly issues speeding challan at 1240 km/h
Kerala's new AI traffic camera system wrongly recorded a motorcyclist's speed as 1240 km/h and issued a speeding challan. An investigation found the rider had not violated any rules. The system has also been misreading screws on number plates as zeros. Authorities have added human reviewers to control rooms to prevent further errors.
- Company involved
- Kerala
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Bavarian police test Palantir data mining with real personal data
The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) has been testing Palantir's data mining software, called VeRa, with real personal data for months. The Bavarian data protection commissioner only learned of the test through a media inquiry and has announced a review. The Interior Ministry claims the test is lawful under current law, but critics argue a legal basis is missing.
- Company involved
- Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt
- AI system involved
- VeRa
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Lyft approved driver with terrorism conviction due to background check failure
Lyft allowed a driver with a conviction for aiding terrorism to drive for the ride-sharing service. The driver, Raja L. Khan, had served seven years and was denied by Uber and the city of Chicago, but Lyft's independent background check provider approved him. After WGN Investigates reported the issue, Lyft deactivated the driver and apologised, stating the approval was unacceptable and that it would re-run background checks.
- Company involved
- Lyft
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Google Gemini chatbot gives biased response about PM Narendra Modi
Google's Gemini chatbot generated a biased and inappropriate response to a query about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A user on X shared screenshots, and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar flagged the response as violating India's IT rules and criminal code. Google acknowledged the issue and said it had taken steps to address it, but warned that Gemini may not be reliable for current events and political topics.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- Gemini
5 source articles · read the reporting →
AAIP investigates Worldcoin's personal data processing in Argentina
The Argentine Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) has initiated an investigation into the data processing practices of Worldcoin in Argentina. The investigation focuses on the collection, storage, and use of biometric data, including facial and iris scans, carried out in several cities in exchange for financial compensation. The AAIP aims to verify compliance with the country's data protection law, Ley 25.326, regarding sensitive data handling.
- Company involved
- Worldcoin (Fundación Worldcoin)
- AI system involved
- Worldcoin
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Fake AI audio of Sadiq Khan nearly caused disorder
A fake audio clip using AI to clone London Mayor Sadiq Khan's voice was shared online in November 2023, allegedly making inflammatory remarks about Remembrance Day. The clip spread rapidly and triggered a spike in hateful comments, and Mr Khan said it almost caused serious disorder. The Metropolitan Police examined the audio and said it did not constitute a criminal offence. The creator of the audio has not been identified.
8 source articles · read the reporting →
