Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy profiles unemployed people

The Polish Ministry of Labor and Social Policy has deployed an algorithm that profiles unemployed citizens and categorizes them according to types of welfare assistance (Algorithm Watch 2019). The system asks 24 questions that determine two criteria: “distance from the labour market” and “readiness to enter or return to the labour market” (ibid). The system has been criticized for its opaque operations regarding the availability of public services and its arbitrary nature of decision-making due to the simplification of the person’s case interview. Moreover, the algorithm does not give its subjects access to see its internal operations nor an explanation regarding the decision that has been made about them (ibid). The system also acts almost entirely unilaterally; The Polish Ministry of Labor and Social Policy has limited oversight over the automated process. In total, the algorithm’s lack of human intervention and supervision violates the legal principles enshrined in the EU’s GDPR.