British Police Built a Sprawling Crime-Prediction Machine. Some Results Couldn’t Be Trusted
An investigation reveals that police in Bristol, England, utilized a predictive analytics database containing sensitive personal information to score citizens on risk factors. Critics and privacy advocates have raised concerns regarding the accuracy and ethical implications of these algorithms.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing tension between law enforcement's use of big data and the protection of individual civil liberties.
Photo-Illustration: Lena Weber; Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story The Think Family Database holds records on close to half a million people who live in the city of Bristol, England. For many years, few of them knew anything about it.
The article focuses on the potential for government overreach and the failure of algorithmic systems.
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