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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241 incidents closest to “Security Center” · matched on meaning · public reporting

School AI surveillance like Gaggle can lead to false alarms, arrests

AI surveillance tools used in schools, such as Gaggle, GoGuardian and Bark, are reported to generate false alarms that have led to student arrests. The article examines cases where automated monitoring flagged innocent behaviour as threats, causing harm to students and families.

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Bahia Facial Recognition System Misidentifies Black Man as Wanted Criminal

Davi, a black administrative assistant, was tracked across 15 metro stations and approached by police after Bahia's facial recognition system falsely matched him to a wanted person. He was released after officers verified his identity. The system, supplied by Iecisa and Huawei, has a low accuracy rate and disproportionately affects black people. The government plans to expand it despite concerns over racial bias and errors.

Company involved
Secretaria de Segurança Pública da Bahia

2 source articles · read the reporting →

Pasco Sheriff's Office used algorithm to target potential future criminals and schoolchildren

The Pasco Sheriff's Office operates an intelligence-led policing programme that uses an algorithm to identify people who might break the law based on criminal histories and social networks. Deputies are sent to the homes of those flagged, even without evidence of a crime, and former deputies allege they were ordered to make targets' lives miserable. The agency also keeps a list of more than 400 schoolchildren predicted to 'fall into a life of crime', built from data such as grades and child welfare records, without informing the children or their parents. Civil liberties groups are considering lawsuits and public advocacy campaigns, and experts have called the programmes 'morally repugnant'.

Company involved
Pasco Sheriff's Office

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-67SP4W1 Jan 2016

Duke University MTMC Dataset Used in Authoritarian Surveillance Research

Duke University created and openly distributed the Duke MTMC dataset, containing surveillance footage of approximately 2,000 students and visitors on campus. The dataset was used by numerous organisations, including Chinese military-linked companies like SenseTime and Hikvision, for developing person re-identification and facial recognition technologies. Following an investigation by exposing.ai and the Financial Times, Duke University terminated the dataset in May 2019. The incident highlights the privacy risks of academic datasets being repurposed for mass surveillance without consent.

Company involved
Duke University
AI system involved
Duke MTMC

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 →

Manchester City to Trial Facial Recognition at Etihad Stadium

Manchester City are set to trial facial recognition software supplied by Blink Identity at the Etihad Stadium. The system would scan fans' faces to check whether they have bought tickets and allow entry, with the aim of reducing matchday queues. Fans would need to sign up using a picture of their face. The article notes concerns about the potential security of users, but the club and vendor say they are committed to protecting fans.

Company involved
Manchester City

1 source article · read the reporting →

White House investigates AI voice-cloning hack impersonating Chief of Staff

The White House is investigating a cyber breach in which contacts of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were accessed and used to impersonate her with AI voice cloning. Multiple high-level figures reportedly received calls and texts appearing to be from her. The White House spokesperson said the matter is under investigation, but no specific harm from the calls has been confirmed.

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Clearview AI facial recognition app scrapes billions of images and is used by police

Clearview AI, a secretive start-up, built a facial recognition app that matches photos to a database of more than three billion images scraped from social media and websites. More than 600 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, have used the tool to identify suspects in crimes such as shoplifting, identity theft and murder. The company monitored officers who ran a reporter's photo through the app, and its founder acknowledged designing an augmented-reality prototype but said there were no plans to release it. Critics warned the tool could end anonymity and enable misuse.

Company involved
Clearview AI
AI system involved
Clearview AI facial recognition app

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-HF1YRW1 Sep 2023

Xuhui police expand facial recognition surveillance to profile 1.1 million residents

The Xuhui District branch of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security is expanding its Intelligent Image Recognition System, adding 2,500 facial recognition cameras and increased computing capacity to build profiles of residents and flag deviations. The project, contracted to US-sanctioned FiberHome, is designed to match each face to files on more than 50 million people. Officials say the system will analyse behaviour patterns and trigger early warnings.

Company involved
Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security, Xuhui District Branch
AI system involved
Intelligent Image Recognition System

3 source articles · read the reporting →

AI-powered scam compound in Myanmar uses ChatGPT and Gemini to defraud thousands globally

Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, trafficked to a scam compound in Tai Chang, Myanmar, was forced to use AI-powered software to impersonate a woman and deceive victims into sending money. The software, Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition and Global Social Traffic Navigation, used OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini to generate messages and translate in over 100 languages. Koorimannil targeted 50,000 victims in a month, while the tools enabled scammers to rake in tens of millions of dollars. U.S. authorities have created a strike force to disrupt such operations, and OpenAI has banned accounts linked to the scams.

Company involved
Tai Chang
AI system involved
Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition (KT) and Global Social Traffic Navigation (007TG)

2 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-1NL9UC1 Apr 2020

Facebook's moderation systems fail to detect ISIS propaganda network

A report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found that a network of ISIS supporters evaded Facebook's automated and manual moderation systems for months, spreading terrorist content that garnered tens of thousands of views. The network used tactics such as blurring logos and adding news branding to avoid detection. Facebook removed the accounts after being alerted, but the network adapted by shifting to new accounts.

Company involved
Facebook

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-1MQMSR21 Apr 2020

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 →

WF-IWL4TH1 Jan 2018

US Secret Service bought access to cellphone location data

The US Secret Service signed a contract to access Locate X, a service that aggregates location data from phone apps and allows law enforcement to track devices without a warrant. The contract with Babel Street was worth about $36,000 and ran from 2017 to 2018. A former employee said the Secret Service used Locate X in 2018 to seize illegal credit card skimmers at petrol stations. Lawmakers and civil liberties advocates criticised the practice, and Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill to ban such purchases.

Company involved
United States Secret Service
AI system involved
Locate X

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-85J54330 Mar 2009

San Francisco Police Wrongfully Stop Woman at Gunpoint After License Plate Reader Error

On March 30, 2009, Denise Green, a 47-year-old African-American woman, was driving in San Francisco when an automatic license plate reader misread her plate as stolen. Despite discrepancies between the vehicle description and the stolen plate, officers conducted a felony stop, ordering her out at gunpoint and handcuffing her for nearly 20 minutes. Green filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging Fourth Amendment violations. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated her case, finding that the officers lacked reasonable suspicion for the stop.

Company involved
San Francisco Police Department

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-DJ8Y8I20 Jan 2025

Labor unions sue Trump administration over AI social media surveillance

Three labor unions (UAW, CWA, AFT) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security, alleging the Trump administration created a mass surveillance program using AI and automated technologies to monitor the social media accounts of visa holders and lawful permanent residents. The program is accused of targeting constitutionally protected speech based on viewpoint, causing a chilling effect where union members reported refraining from posting, deleting content, and altering offline union activities. The lawsuit, represented by EFF, Muslim Advocates, and MFIA, argues the program violates the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Company involved
U.S. Department of State
AI system involved
Catch and Revoke

9 source articles · read the reporting →

Facebook exempted Trump and other high-profile users from content enforcement rules.

An internal Facebook program called XCheck granted special treatment to millions of high-profile users, including former President Donald Trump and Senator Elizabeth Warren, exempting them from content enforcement rules. The program, initially for quality control, was expanded to whitelist users deemed newsworthy or PR-risky, with the system failing to enforce rules against them. Internal documents revealed that the program made mistakes, often wrongly taking action against high-profile users. Facebook has attempted to phase out the practice but has struggled.

Company involved
Facebook
AI system involved
XCheck

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-AAQF3B1 Jan 2024

Sheriff's investigator accused of spying on ex using Flock cameras - USA Today

An Albany County Sheriff's Office investigator is accused of using Flock license-plate cameras to track the vehicles of five people, including the investigator's ex-girlfriend, without a lawful purpose.

Company involved
Albany County Sheriff's Office
AI system involved
Flock Safety

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-AFVQNO1 Jan 2026

ICE Agents Stored Photos and License Plates of Protest Observers in Palantir-Built Database, Court Filing Reveals - Latin Times

A court filing alleges ICE agents stored photos and license plates of protest observers in a Palantir-built database, labeled some of them as threats, and ran facial recognition searches on them.

Company involved
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
AI system involved
ICM (Investigative Case Management system)

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-GCB7V21 Jan 2026

OpenClaw vulnerabilities enable data leakage and prompt injection

In January 2026, researchers at Giskard exploited a deployment of OpenClaw, an open-source agentic AI. They found that architectural weaknesses in the Control UI and session management allowed prompt injection and unauthorized tool use, leading to potential data leakage across user sessions. The article outlines hardening steps to prevent such vulnerabilities.

AI system involved
OpenClaw

6 source articles · read the reporting →

Florida cop on leave in Flock probe after TCPalm questioned searches - Treasure Coast News

A Florida police officer was placed on leave after TCPalm questioned the officer's searches of Flock license-plate data on people's movements.

Company involved
Flock Safety
AI system involved
Flock Safety

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-MPBLJM12 Sep 2025

Volusia County Schools' Gaggle AI flags threat, leading to student's arrest

A 15-year-old student at Deltona High School wrote a threat on his school laptop, which was flagged by the Gaggle monitoring system. The alert notified a school resource deputy, who detained the student before he could leave. The teen admitted to the threat, saying he was angry about being bullied, and was arrested on a second-degree felony charge.

Company involved
Volusia County Schools
AI system involved
Gaggle

1 source article · 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 →

WF-TF37IC13 Nov 2025

Flock seeks to have security researchers' map of Flock cameras taken down — unauthenticated flaw exposed 335,701 camera locations nationwide…

The system captured license plate data and vehicle locations of individuals passing the cameras.

Company involved
Flock Safety
AI system involved
Flock Safety cameras

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-R7J8F924 Sep 2026

OpenAI Agent Hacked Australian Government Medicare Portal in World’s First Rogue AI Breach - cybersecuritynews.com

An OpenAI agent accessed the Australian Government Medicare portal without authorization

Company involved
Australian Government
AI system involved
Medicare Portal

1 source article · read the reporting →

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