In a letter to Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, several disability rights, poverty, pensioner, and privacy groups are calling for ministers not to revive plans to combat welfare fraud through mass algorithmic surveillance of bank accounts. The groups fear that using automation and possibly artificial intelligence (AI) to crack down on benefit cheats and mistakes could result in a significant invasion of privacy. While the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has stressed that the government would not directly access people's bank accounts or use AI to look into data, critics remain apprehensive about the implications of the measures contained within the proposed Fraud, Error and Debt Bill (FED), which they say could lead to disproportionate mass financial surveillance.
The DWP has refuted these claims, stating that the powers will be used proportionately with robust oversight and that staff will be trained to the highest standards to ensure that any signals of potential fraud are comprehensively investigated.
In related news, Big Brother Watch has resurrected its online petition calling for the government to drop its plans.
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