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.

Clear

92 incidents closest to “Federato Policy Administration” · matched on meaning · public reporting

Judge rules police search using Flock was mass surveillance

A judge ruled that a police search using Flock's automated license plate readers constituted a form of mass surveillance. The ruling concerns the deployment of the AI-based camera system by law enforcement, which the court found to be an invasive surveillance practice. No further details of the case were provided in the article.

AI system involved
Flock

4 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-B4HA2D17 Jan 2025

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 →

WF-HKN1QB9 Dec 2025

Johnson / Estate of Fisher v. City of Annapolis (D. Maryland): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, (Attorney was dismissed by…

The AI generated fabricated case law and quotes that were included in a court filing, affecting the plaintiffs and the judicial process.

Company involved
City of Annapolis

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-IEVM2516 Mar 2021

Facebook Allowed Age-Targeted Credit Card Ads Violating Its Policy

The Markup found that four companies—Aspiration, Hometap, Chime, and Varo Bank—ran Facebook ads for credit cards and home equity loans that were targeted by age, excluding users under 25 or 35. This practice violates Facebook's own anti-discrimination policy and may violate the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. Facebook did not respond to requests for comment, and some advertisers said they would review their ad targeting.

Company involved
Facebook
AI system involved
Facebook Ad Platform

9 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-YBSNZP10 Jun 2021

Italian privacy regulator fines Foodinho €2.6 million for algorithmic discrimination against riders

The Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante) fined Foodinho S.r.l., a subsidiary of GlovoApp23, €2.6 million for privacy violations related to its algorithmic management of food delivery riders. The Garante found that the company's digital platform used algorithms to assign orders and rate riders without adequate transparency, human oversight, or the right to contest decisions. The system allegedly penalized riders who did not accept orders quickly, leading to reduced work opportunities and exclusion from the platform. The Garante ordered Foodinho to implement corrective measures within 60 days and to overhaul the algorithms within 90 days.

Company involved
Foodinho S.r.l.

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-WO14ER10 Jul 2026

Akerlund v. Atlas Air, Inc., et al. (11th Cir. CA): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, Bar Referral

The system generated fake legal citations that were included in a court filing, potentially misleading the court and prejudicing the client's case.

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-QSFASR1 Jan 2019

Denmark's Udbetaling Danmark welfare algorithm illegally surveilled millions

Udbetaling Danmark (UDK), Denmark's centralized welfare payment agency, used automated algorithms to check eligibility and detect fraud. The system collected personal data on millions of beneficiaries and their relatives, including non-beneficiaries, in what a think-tank called 'systematic surveillance'. A complaint to the Danish Data Protection Authority led to a ruling that the data collection violated GDPR, and UDK eventually deleted the illegally obtained data. The system also caused erroneous payments, including underpaying 300,000 pensioners by 94 million euros annually.

Company involved
Udbetaling Danmark

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-U4WH351 Jun 2020

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 →

WF-R2SNAZ1 Jan 2013

UnitedHealth used ALERT algorithm to limit mental health coverage, regulators found

ProPublica reports that UnitedHealth Group's Optum subsidiary used the ALERT algorithm to flag mental health patients and therapists as outliers, leading to therapy coverage denials. Regulators in California, Massachusetts and New York alleged this breached the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and UnitedHealth agreed to restrict the system in those jurisdictions. The company denies wrongdoing and says its programmes are compliant. Affected patients, including Medicaid enrollees, were left to pay out-of-pocket or go without care.

Company involved
UnitedHealth Group
AI system involved
ALERT

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-F7YECE5 May 2026

Jessica Fuller v. Hyde School, et al. (D. Maine): AI-hallucinated content in court filing, CLE; Firm procedures and certification; Serve…

The AI generated fictitious legal citations that were submitted to the court in a legal filing.

AI system involved
ChatGPT or Claude

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-MZCD6720 Sep 2023

Polish DPO investigates OpenAI over ChatGPT false data and lack of transparency

The Polish data protection authority (UODO) is investigating a complaint against OpenAI concerning ChatGPT. The complainant alleges that ChatGPT generated false information about him, and that OpenAI failed to correct it or disclose what data it holds, violating GDPR principles of lawfulness, fairness and transparency. The complainant also claims OpenAI did not fulfil its information obligations under Article 12 and Article 5(1)(a) GDPR. UODO has stated it will examine the systemic compliance of OpenAI's data processing with European data protection law.

Company involved
OpenAI
AI system involved
ChatGPT

9 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-LN1XAB1 Jan 2021

California EDD's automated fraud detection wrongly suspended 600,000 legitimate unemployment claims

In January 2021, the California Employment Development Department used Thompson Reuters automated batch review software to flag 1.1 million unemployment claims as potentially fraudulent. EDD stopped payments on those claims without prior notice. Later, over 600,000 were confirmed as legitimate after claimants used ID.me to verify their identity. The incident highlights the trade-off between fraud prevention and timely benefit access.

Company involved
California Employment Development Department (EDD)
AI system involved
Thompson Reuters Automated Batch Review

7 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-87FWC322 May 2024

Salvini and Lega used non-watermarked AI images in EU election campaign

Matteo Salvini and his party Lega created and posted 19 allegedly non-watermarked AI-generated images on social media as part of their 'More Italy, less Europe' electoral campaign. The images promoted false narratives about the EU, including the 'Muslim Great Replacement' theory and EU support for war in Ukraine. The posts reached millions of users, including a paid Facebook ad that reached over 3 million people. Alliance4Europe reported the incident, highlighting that the posts violated the voluntary 2024 European Parliament Elections Code of Conduct.

Company involved
Lega

5 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-2JX17425 Mar 2021

Italian DPA says Interior Ministry's Sari Real Time facial recognition lacks legal basis

The Garante per la protezione dei dati personali issued an opinion on Sari Real Time, a facial recognition system developed for the Italian Ministry of Interior. The system, yet to become operational, would compare live video footage of people in public areas with a watch-list and alert police operators. The authority found the planned biometric processing lacked a specific legal basis under Italian law and Directive (EU) 2016/680, and warned it could turn targeted surveillance into mass surveillance.

Company involved
Ministero dell'Interno – Dipartimento della pubblica sicurezza
AI system involved
Sari Real Time

10 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 →

WF-YDH39P1 Jan 2013

Swedish welfare agency's AI system flags marginalized groups for fraud investigations

Försäkringskassan, Sweden's Social Insurance Agency, uses an AI risk-scoring system to flag welfare applicants for fraud investigations. The system disproportionately targets women, individuals with foreign backgrounds, low-income earners, and those without university degrees, according to an investigation by Lighthouse Reports and Svenska Dagbladet. Amnesty International has called for the system to be discontinued, citing violations of the right to equality and non-discrimination.

Company involved
Försäkringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency)

6 source articles · read the reporting →

CJEU rules Dun & Bradstreet must explain automated credit decisions under GDPR

A customer was refused a mobile phone contract because of an automated credit assessment by Dun & Bradstreet Austria. The customer took the case to court, which found that Dun & Bradstreet had infringed the GDPR by failing to provide meaningful information about the logic involved. The CJEU ruled that data controllers must explain automated decisions and that trade secrets cannot automatically override the right of access.

Company involved
Dun & Bradstreet Austria GmbH

7 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-0TL85K1 Mar 2024

AfD used AI-generated images for political propaganda on TikTok

In the months before the 2024 European elections, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) politician Maximilian Krah used AI-generated images on TikTok to create false visual evidence of fictional families, staged nationalist demonstrations, and immigration threats. The AI-generated content was posted to amplify anxieties around migration and cultural identity, with over 1.3 million views across 28 thumbnails. The article alleges that the AfD continued this practice after the elections, weaponizing AI to deepen political divides.

Company involved
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)

5 source articles · read the reporting →

DWP algorithm approved Kickstart gateways with no trading history or based abroad

An FE Week investigation found that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) approved dozens of companies as Kickstart gateways through automated due diligence checks using the Cabinet Office Spotlight Tool, although some had little or no trading history or were based abroad. The DWP said gateways were subject to stringent checks and later said human checks were also used. After the findings were shared with the Treasury and the DWP, the department stopped taking gateway applications and scrapped the requirement for small employers to use gateways from 3 February.

Company involved
Department for Work and Pensions
AI system involved
Cabinet Office Spotlight Tool

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-15KEYQ1 Apr 2023

Deloitte software glitches wrongly remove Texans from Medicaid

Advocacy groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that Deloitte's eligibility software, TIERS, used by Texas Medicaid, wrongly disenrolled qualified recipients due to glitches. Nearly 1.8 million Texans lost coverage after the pandemic pause ended, with many errors attributed to procedural issues but some linked to system malfunctions. Deloitte denies the claims, while the state says it restored care for at least 90,000 people. The FTC has not yet responded to the complaint.

Company involved
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
AI system involved
TIERS

6 source articles · read the reporting →

Italian DPA fines Municipality of Trento over AI surveillance projects

The Italian data protection authority (Garante) fined the Municipality of Trento €50,000 for two research projects, Marvel and Protector, that used AI to analyze video, audio, and social media data for public security purposes. The projects involved automated detection of risk events from surveillance cameras and microphones in public spaces, as well as monitoring social media for hate speech. The Garante found multiple violations of privacy law, including lack of a valid legal basis, insufficient anonymization, failure to conduct a data protection impact assessment, and inadequate transparency. The municipality is required to delete the unlawfully processed data.

Company involved
Comune di Trento
AI system involved
Marvel and Protector

9 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-4Q3RDL2 Feb 2023

Italian Data Protection Authority Blocks Replika Chatbot Over Risks to Minors

On February 2, 2023, the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante) issued an urgent order blocking the AI chatbot Replika from processing personal data of Italian users. The Garante found that Replika lacked effective age verification, allowing minors to potentially receive inappropriate content including sex-related replies, and that its privacy policy violated GDPR transparency requirements. The U.S.-based controller was given 20 days to report on compliance measures and may challenge the order within 60 days.

AI system involved
Replika

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-53EQUB1 Jun 2019

Security Health Plan used AI to cut off nursing home care for 85-year-old woman

Frances Walter, an 85-year-old woman with a shattered shoulder, had her nursing home care payment cut off by Security Health Plan after an algorithm predicted she would recover in 16.6 days. The algorithm, nH Predict from NaviHealth, did not account for her severe pain and allergy to pain medicine. She was forced to spend her life savings and enroll in Medicaid while fighting the denial. A federal judge later ruled the denial was speculative and she was owed thousands of dollars.

Company involved
Security Health Plan
AI system involved
nH Predict

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-P9E72631 Dec 2021

Greek Data Protection Authority fines Ministry of Migration and Asylum for AI surveillance systems

The Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) imposed an administrative fine of €175,000 on the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MMA) for GDPR violations related to the 'Centaur' and 'Hyperion' programmes. These systems use AI behavioral analytics, CCTV, drones, and biometric data to monitor and control access to reception facilities for asylum seekers on Greek islands. The HDPA found that the MMA failed to conduct proper Data Protection Impact Assessments and did not cooperate with the authority. The MMA has been ordered to comply with GDPR within three months.

Company involved
Ministry of Migration and Asylum
AI system involved
Centaur and Hyperion programmes

10 source articles · read the reporting →

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