The system predicts the likelihood of an individual committing benefits or tax fraud using data on their employment, benefits and previous education and housing. The court ruled the system breached the right to private life guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. (TechCrunch)

Talking point: Privacy advocacy groups have argued the system has been disproportionately used in neighbourhoods with mainly low-income and minority residents, dubbing it a tool of the “welfare surveillance state.” The ruling conveyed similar concerns, finding that the system may amount to discrimination based on socioeconomic or migrant status. This is the first time a court has stopped the use of digital technology on human rights grounds, according to Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. He called it “a clear victory for all those who are justifiably concerned about the serious threats digital welfare systems pose for human rights.”