U.S. Department of Homeland Security Uses Secret Algorithm ATLAS to Flag Naturalized Citizens for Denaturalization
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security operates a secret algorithm called ATLAS that screens naturalized citizens for potential fraud or national security concerns, flagging them for denaturalization. The system, hosted on Amazon Web Services, analyzes biometric and other data from various federal databases, and its rules are undisclosed. Human reviewers then decide whether to refer flagged individuals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation. Critics allege the algorithm relies on inaccurate data and lacks transparency, leading to wrongful denaturalization proceedings.
- Company involved
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- AI system involved
- ATLAS
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Scarlett Johansson takes legal action against AI app using her likeness
An AI image-generating app called Lisa AI used Scarlett Johansson's name and likeness in an online advertisement without permission. The ad featured an old clip of Johansson and an AI-generated voice resembling her promoting the app. Johansson's attorney stated they will pursue all legal remedies, and the ad was removed from the internet. The app is made by Convert Software, which did not respond to a request for comment.
- Company involved
- Convert Software
- AI system involved
- Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar
10 source articles · read the reporting →
LinkedIn Search Function Found to Have Gender Bias, Suggests Male Names for Female Searches
In September 2016, a Seattle Times investigation revealed that LinkedIn's search function exhibited gender bias by suggesting male names when users searched for common female names. For example, searching for 'Stephanie Williams' prompted a suggestion for 'Stephan Williams'. LinkedIn initially denied the bias, attributing the suggestions to the most-common searches, but later updated the search function to stop proposing alternative names.
- Company involved
- LinkedIn
- AI system involved
- LinkedIn search function
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Hong Kong tycoon sues Tyndaris over AI hedge fund losses
Hong Kong tycoon Samathur Li Kin-kan is suing Tyndaris Investments after its AI-powered hedge fund, K1, lost over $20 million in a single day. Li alleges that the system was not as sophisticated as claimed. The trial is set to begin in London in April 2020.
- Company involved
- Tyndaris Investments
- AI system involved
- K1
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Speedcam Anywhere developers face abuse from UK drivers after app launch
Speedcam Anywhere, an app that uses AI to estimate the speed of passing vehicles, was launched in March 2022. Its developers have received abusive emails from drivers and are now hiding their identities. Google and Apple have not approved the app for distribution, and the Home Office has not vetted it for speeding prosecutions.
- AI system involved
- Speedcam Anywhere
10 source articles · read the reporting →
RealPage's YieldStar algorithm pushes rents higher for tenants
RealPage's YieldStar algorithm uses private competitor data to recommend rent increases for apartment units. Landlords adopt up to 90% of the suggestions, leading to higher rents for tenants. Critics allege the software may facilitate indirect price-fixing in violation of antitrust law. The company denies wrongdoing and says the software helps eliminate collusion.
- Company involved
- RealPage
- AI system involved
- YieldStar
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Photographer sues LAION e.V. over refusal to remove copyrighted images from AI training dataset
Photographer Robert Kneschke requested that LAION e.V. remove his copyrighted images from its LAION-5B dataset used to train AI image generators. LAION refused, claiming the use was covered by copyright exceptions, and demanded €887.03 in legal costs from Kneschke. Kneschke, through his lawyer, then filed a lawsuit at the Landgericht Hamburg against LAION, alleging copyright infringement and seeking removal and information.
- Company involved
- LAION e.V.
- AI system involved
- LAION-5B dataset
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Scatter Lab shuts down Lee Luda chatbot after hate speech
Scatter Lab's Lee Luda chatbot, a conversational AI on Facebook, generated hate speech targeting Black, lesbian, disabled, and trans people. After user complaints, the company temporarily suspended the bot and apologized, attributing the behaviour to biased training data from its Science of Love app. Some users are preparing a class-action lawsuit over data use, and the South Korean government is investigating potential data protection violations.
- Company involved
- Scatter Lab
- AI system involved
- Lee Luda
10 source articles · read the reporting →
UDR Sued Over Alleged Use of RealPage Algorithm to Set Rents in San Diego
A class action lawsuit alleges that UDR, Inc. used RealPage's YieldStar algorithmic pricing software to set rental rates and occupancy levels for its San Diego properties, in violation of a local ordinance. The suit claims the software relied on nonpublic competitor data, contributing to inflated rents and making housing less affordable. The lawsuit, filed in July 2026, seeks to represent all affected tenants. UDR has previously acknowledged using YieldStar as one tool among others in its decision-making.
- Company involved
- UDR, Inc.
- AI system involved
- RealPage YieldStar
1 source article · read the reporting →
Cense exposed 2.5 million records of auto accident victims online
On July 7, 2020, a security researcher discovered 2.5 million records containing personal and medical data of auto accident victims exposed online. The records, belonging to New York-based AI company Cense, included names, insurance policy numbers, claim numbers, and medical diagnosis notes. The data was labeled as staging data, possibly intended for temporary storage before being loaded into an AI system. After the researcher sent a responsible disclosure notice, Cense restricted public access to the database.
- Company involved
- Cense
- AI system involved
- Cense
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Barclays pilot of Sapience monitoring software causes employee stress
Barclays introduced a pilot of employee monitoring software from Sapience in its product control department at Canary Wharf. The system monitors computer activity and admonishes staff if they are not deemed active enough, recording breaks as "unaccounted activity". Employees reported significant stress and worry about taking breaks. Barclays acknowledged the pilot and said it would listen to feedback.
- Company involved
- Barclays
- AI system involved
- Sapience employee monitoring software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Wisconsin’s dropout prediction algorithm labels students high risk with racial bias
Wisconsin’s Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) uses machine learning to predict middle school students' likelihood of graduating on time, relying on factors including race and income. The Markup found the algorithm frequently mislabels students, with a higher false alarm rate for Black and Hispanic students. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has not informed schools of the racial disparities and continues to use the system.
- Company involved
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- AI system involved
- Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
CanLII sues Caseway AI for scraping legal database
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has filed a lawsuit in British Columbia Supreme Court against Caseway AI, alleging that the company's AI chatbot scraped approximately 3.5 million records from CanLII's database in bulk, violating its terms of service and copyright. CanLII claims it adds value to public court records through hyperlinks and corrections, which it says constitute protected copyrighted work. Caseway AI argues the information is public and accessible elsewhere, and that it did not use CanLII's enhancements. The lawsuit was settled in March 2026, with terms undisclosed.
- Company involved
- Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII)
- AI system involved
- Caseway
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Wisconsin court used secret COMPAS algorithm to sentence Loomis to harsher term
In Loomis v. Wisconsin, a judge used a COMPAS risk score from Northpointe to sentence a defendant to a harsher punishment. The algorithm was kept secret as a trade secret, preventing the defendant from challenging its accuracy. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the sentence, ruling that the score was only one part of the rationale. The case raises concerns about due process and the use of secret algorithms in criminal sentencing.
- Company involved
- State of Wisconsin
- AI system involved
- COMPAS
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Landberg v City of New York (CA NY (2d)): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Monetary Sanction
AI-generated fake legal citations were included in a court filing, resulting in monetary sanctions against the attorney and his law firm.
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 →
LoanDepot algorithm denied mortgage to Black couple in Charlotte
In August 2019, Crystal Marie and Eskias McDaniels, a Black couple, were denied a mortgage for a house in Charlotte, North Carolina, by loanDepot's automated underwriting algorithm. The algorithm rejected the application because Crystal Marie was a contractor, not a full-time employee, despite her high credit score and income. After the couple enlisted their real estate agent and employer to intervene, the lender reversed the decision and cleared them to close. The couple alleged that race played a role in the denial, which loanDepot denied.
- Company involved
- loanDepot
- AI system involved
- Classic FICO and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac automated underwriting software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Intellexa Predator spyware used to surveil human rights lawyer in Pakistan
In summer 2025, a human rights lawyer from Pakistan's Balochistan province was targeted via WhatsApp with Intellexa's Predator spyware, according to Amnesty International's Security Lab. The attack is part of a broader pattern of unlawful surveillance of activists, journalists and human rights defenders. The Intellexa Leaks investigation exposed internal operations of the spyware company, raising concerns about human rights due diligence.
- AI system involved
- Predator spyware
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ScaleFactor reportedly failed to deliver promised automated bookkeeping software
ScaleFactor, an Austin-based startup, is reported to have failed to deliver the automated, real-time bookkeeping tools it promised customers, instead relying on human bookkeepers and a Filipino contract accounting firm. The company told Forbes in June that it was shutting down, initially blaming the pandemic, but Forbes later reported that its problems predated Covid-19. Investors reportedly came to see the company as more of a services business than a software platform, and pulled funding after a pivot to a marketplace model. No legal or regulatory action is reported.
- Company involved
- ScaleFactor
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ElevenLabs AI voice generation used in Russian influence operation targeting Europe
The article reports that a Russian influence campaign, dubbed "Operation Undercut," very likely used ElevenLabs' AI voice generation technology to create realistic voiceovers for fake news videos. The videos targeted European audiences to undermine support for Ukraine. Recorded Future's researchers used ElevenLabs' own AI Speech Classifier to detect the AI-generated audio. The campaign was attributed to the Russia-based Social Design Agency, which the U.S. government sanctioned. The overall impact on public opinion was minimal.
- Company involved
- Social Design Agency
- AI system involved
- ElevenLabs AI voice generation
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Southland Homes & Real Estate and Investment, LLC v. Lam (SC California): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Monetary Sanctions; Bar…
The AI system generated legal briefs containing fabricated case citations, which were filed in court, affecting the court and the opposing party.
1 source article · read the reporting →
LINAGORA closes Lucie 7B after user mockery
LINAGORA, a French open-source software company, launched a beta version of its large language model Lucie 7B. The model was intended to be a transparent and ethical alternative to big tech AI. However, after users tested it and highlighted its shortcomings, the model was mocked online. LINAGORA subsequently closed the platform to address the issues and collect more data.
- Company involved
- LINAGORA
- AI system involved
- Lucie 7B
6 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 →
Leonardo AI misused to create nonconsensual explicit images of celebrities
Leonardo AI, an AI image-generating platform backed by Samsung, has been misused to create nonconsensual explicit images of celebrities. The platform allows users to generate images using user-generated Stable Diffusion models. Users bypassed ethical guardrails by misspelling celebrity names and using sexually suggestive terms. The misuse was reported by 404 Media.
- Company involved
- Leonardo AI
- AI system involved
- Leonardo AI
5 source articles · read the reporting →
