Family Surveillance by Algorithm: The Rapidly Spreading Tools Few Have Heard Of

The latest reckoning with structural racism in the United States has involved critical reflection on the role of the criminal justice system, education policy, and housing practices in perpetuating racial inequity. But another area long overdue for collective reexamination is the child welfare system and the algorithms working behind the scenes. That's why the ACLU has conducted a nationwide survey to learn more about these tools.This report examines how many jurisdictions across the 50 states, D.C. and U.S. territories are using one category of predictive analytics tools: models that systematically use data collected by jurisdictions' public agencies to attempt to predict the likelihood that a child in a given situation or location will be maltreated