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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44 incidents closest to “Public Sector Solutions” · matched on meaning · public reporting

WF-MSI2BH5 Jun 2026EN

Environmental group, residents file notice of intent to sue QTS data center in Fayetteville alleging violation of Clean Water Act

Flint Riverkeeper and local residents filed a notice of intent to sue QTS, alleging its Fayetteville, Georgia, data centre campus violated the Clean Water Act, according to 11Alive.

Company involved
QTS (Quality Technology Services)
AI system involved
Fayetteville data centre campus

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-4OY2V215 May 2025EN

A data center drained 30M gallons of water unnoticed — until residents complained about low water pressure

Residents of the Annelise Park subdivision in Fayetteville, Georgia, noticed unusually low water pressure. The county utility found two industrial water hookups feeding the QTS data centre campus, one installed without its knowledge and one not billed, and charged QTS $147,474 for more than 29 million gallons of unaccounted-for water, far above the agreed peak limit. QTS paid and said the unmetered use happened during a switch to smart meters.

Company involved
QTS (Quality Technology Services)
AI system involved
Fayetteville data centre campus

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-1ED7R622 Aug 2026

Why Memphis Residents Don’t Have Power but SpaceX’s Data Center Does - Emerald Book

The data center's private microgrid kept it powered during a storm, while 35,000 residents lost electricity.

Company involved
SpaceXAI
AI system involved
Colossus

1 source article · read the reporting →

Workday Gains an Edge in AI Hiring Bias Fight: California Brief - Bloomberg Law News

Workday Gains an Edge in AI Hiring Bias Fight: California Brief - Bloomberg Law News

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-BLI1T71 Jun 2026EN

BOPU: Cheyenne wastewater system polluter was a data center; city temporarily pausing data center discharges

Cheyenne's Board of Public Utilities traced a contamination of the city's wastewater reuse system with the bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii to Goat Systems, a company building an 800,000-square-foot data centre campus reported to be Meta's, and permanently revoked its discharge privileges. The reuse system's start for the year was delayed while the bacteria were flushed out; the city paused discharges from data centres. Meta has appealed the violation notice.

Company involved
Goat Systems (Meta data centre contractor)
AI system involved
Cheyenne data centre campus

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-5JGHIU1 Jan 2025

Sleepless in Slough: the residents who fear for their failing health in Europe’s data centre capital - The Nerve

Data centre operations caused noise and vibration disturbances to nearby residents.

Company involved
Global Technical Realty
AI system involved
GB One

1 source article · read the reporting →

SafeRent Settles Class Action Over Tenant Screening for Voucher Holders

Mary Louis and Monica Douglas filed a class action lawsuit in 2022 alleging that SafeRent Solutions' SafeRent Score product discriminated against rental applicants in Massachusetts who held public housing vouchers, violating fair housing and consumer protection laws. SafeRent denied wrongdoing. The court approved a settlement in November 2024, and payments were distributed to eligible class members in 2025 and 2026.

Company involved
SafeRent Solutions, LLC
AI system involved
SafeRent Score

5 source articles · read the reporting →

Stockton police disclose Flock misuse, outline oversight changes after employee’s departure - Stocktonia News

Stockton police disclose Flock misuse, outline oversight changes after employee’s departure Stocktonia News

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-ATS7E1Russian

South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal Considers Sassa Algorithm Case

Верховный апелляционный суд ЮАР рассмотрел дело об алгоритмах Sassa - UA.NEWS

The Supreme Court of Appeal heard an appeal on 25 August about Sassa's digital application system for the SRD grant. The system only accepts online applications and uses automated bank account checks that may deny grants to people whose accounts receive deposits that are not regular income. The Global Center on AI Governance submitted that automated decisions must uphold constitutional rights and be fair, non-discriminatory, and suited to South Africa's informal economy.

Company involved
South African Social Security Agency (Sassa)
AI system involved
Sassa digital application system

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-5CSSKD15 Feb 2018

PredPol crime predictions disproportionately targeted Black and Latino neighborhoods

Between 2018 and 2021, PredPol software sent millions of crime predictions to U.S. police departments. An analysis of unsecured data found that predictions overwhelmingly targeted Black, Latino, and low-income neighborhoods, while whiter, wealthier areas were largely avoided. The company claimed the software was bias-free, but the data showed persistent racial and economic disparities. Many police departments have since stopped using the software.

AI system involved
PredPol

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-LE6SZV1 Jan 2017

Rotterdam's Welfare Fraud Algorithm Discriminated by Gender and Ethnicity

The city of Rotterdam deployed a machine learning algorithm built by Accenture to flag welfare recipients for fraud investigation. The system used personal data including gender, language, and subjective caseworker notes to generate risk scores, leading to investigations that disproportionately targeted women and migrants. An external review found the algorithm discriminatory and inaccurate, prompting the city to suspend its use in 2021. The system's opacity made it nearly impossible for those flagged to challenge the decisions.

Company involved
City of Rotterdam

6 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-AY8BHA1 Mar 2022

Court orders suspension of facial recognition in São Paulo metro

A court in São Paulo ordered the suspension of a facial recognition system in the city's metro stations following a lawsuit by civil society groups. The system, SecurOS by ISS and operated by ViaQuatro, was capturing biometric data of millions of daily users without adequate transparency or risk assessment. The court also barred the metro operator, METRO, from installing new biometric equipment and imposed daily fines for non-compliance. METRO stated it would appeal the ruling and prove compliance with data protection regulations.

Company involved
Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (METRO)
AI system involved
SecurOS

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-LJZQPZ16 Sep 2021

Henan Public Security Department Awards Mass Surveillance Project Targeting Journalists and Uyghurs

In 2021, the Henan Public Security Department awarded a contract to Neusoft for a surveillance system using Huawei cloud software. The system is designed to track and tag foreign journalists, foreign students, migrant women, and Uyghurs, with journalists labelled for potential punishment. IPVM and Reuters reported on the project, after which the tender was removed from public view. Huawei denied knowledge of the project, while Neusoft and PRC officials did not respond.

Company involved
Henan Public Security Department

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-BABUXF28 Feb 2026

McKinsey's Lilli AI Platform Hacked, Exposing 46 Million Chat Messages

Security researchers at CodeWall used an autonomous offensive agent to discover a SQL injection vulnerability in McKinsey's internal AI platform, Lilli. The vulnerability allowed unauthenticated access to the production database, exposing 46.5 million chat messages, 728,000 files, and 57,000 user accounts. The researchers responsibly disclosed the issue to McKinsey, who patched the endpoints within days. No data was exfiltrated or misused, and no disruption occurred.

Company involved
McKinsey & Company
AI system involved
Lilli

1 source article · read the reporting →

WF-CESBK714 Oct 2024

Portland Water Bureau AI pilot offers discount to billionaire CEO

The Portland Water Bureau used a machine learning system in a randomised control trial to identify customers for its financial assistance programme. The system selected Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, a billionaire and one of the city's largest residential water consumers, for a 40% water bill discount. Boyle declined the discount, stating it should go to someone who needs it. The bureau is testing whether the SERVUS algorithm can accurately identify customers' ability to pay.

Company involved
Portland Water Bureau
AI system involved
Smart Discount Program

1 source article · read the reporting →

Canada Investigates Landlords' Use of AI Rent-Setting Software YieldStar

The Competition Bureau of Canada is investigating allegations that major corporate landlords, including Dream Unlimited, used AI-powered software YieldStar to coordinate rent increases. Tenant advocacy groups filed over 100 complaints, claiming the software recommended above-market rents, exacerbating housing affordability. Some landlords have since halted use of YieldStar amid public backlash, while the investigation continues.

Company involved
Dream Unlimited
AI system involved
YieldStar

7 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-ZTR26N1 Nov 2023

DC attorney general sues 14 landlords over RealPage rent collusion

The Attorney General of Washington DC filed a lawsuit against 14 large landlords, alleging they used RealPage's YieldStar software to form “a District-wide housing cartel” that artificially inflated rents. The complaint claims RealPage's pricing algorithm used data supplied by the landlords and pressurised them to follow its rate recommendations, with one firm's internal presentation stating at least 95% compliance was expected. This alleged scheme caused residents to pay millions of dollars above fair market prices during a housing affordability crisis.

Company involved
Greystar Management Services
AI system involved
YieldStar

10 source articles · read the reporting →

South African government departments suspend officials over AI-generated fake sources

The South African Department of Communication and Digital Technology and Department of Home Affairs suspended four officials after discovering that AI-generated fictitious references were used in policy documents. The Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy was withdrawn from public consultation, and the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugees was also affected. The departments are investigating and have appointed independent law firms to review all policy documents since November 2022. The ministers have pledged to implement AI verification checks in future policy approval processes.

Company involved
Department of Communication and Digital Technology; Department of Home Affairs

3 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-02DLSM24 Jun 2019

Sidewalk Labs releases Toronto waterfront plan amid privacy concerns

Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet, released a 1,500-page plan for a new development on Toronto's eastern waterfront, including the Quayside site. The plan involves extensive data collection and management, raising privacy concerns from critics and the public. Waterfront Toronto, the overseeing body, is reviewing the plan and has expressed concerns about its scope and data governance. The company has proposed an independent trust to oversee data, but critics remain unsatisfied.

Company involved
Sidewalk Labs
AI system involved
Quayside development

10 source articles · read the reporting →

WF-SMQW6T21 Oct 2021

Civil Society Demands Halt to AI Facial Recognition Tracking System by South Korean Government

South Korea's Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Science and ICT are building an AI identification and tracking system using facial recognition for airport immigration. It was revealed that over 170 million facial photos of citizens and foreigners were transferred to private companies for AI training without proper legal basis. Civil society groups held a press conference on November 9, 2021, condemning the project as an unprecedented violation of information human rights and demanding its immediate halt. They argue the data transfer violates the Personal Information Protection Act and have requested a meeting with the Minister of Justice.

Company involved
Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Science and ICT
AI system involved
AI Identification and Tracking System

5 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 →

WF-YK9Q5P10 Feb 2020

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 →

WF-HXS00H1 Jan 2020

Dutch government continued SyRI welfare fraud profiling after ban

The Dutch government deployed the SyRI algorithm to profile welfare recipients in low-income neighborhoods, despite a 2020 court ruling that the system violated EU human rights. The algorithm flagged thousands of parents for fraud based on illegal risk factors such as dual nationality, leading to false accusations, bankruptcy, and trauma. The government has announced an external review of the practices.

Company involved
Ministry of Social Affairs of the Netherlands
AI system involved
SyRI

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 →

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