At the end of a seminar that bring together subject matter experts, organised in collaboration with CNIL on 28 and 29 May, the Defender of Rights published its first recommendations to prevent and combat discriminatory discrimination in algorithms.

Digital tools, whose use has increased with the current health crisis, often rely on algorithms without the public always knowing or being informed. Now used in areas such as access to social benefits, the police, the judiciary and even recruitment, they are sources of progress, but they also involve risks to fundamental rights, as already pointed out by the CNIL. and the rights defender.

Behind the apparent neutrality of algorithms, research has discovered the extent of the biases that can occur during their design and distribution. Like the databases that feed them, they are designed and generated by humans whose stereotypes, automatically repeating themselves, can lead to discrimination.

Considering that this issue should not be a blind spot in public debate, the CNIL and defender of rights brought together specialists, researchers, lawyers and developers on 28 and 29 May on issues of transparency of algorithms and discriminatory biases. All the experts have highlighted the significant risks of discrimination that their exponential use can pose for each of us, in all areas of our lives.

To prevent this discrimination, correct it and punish its authors, the Defender of Rights calls for collective awareness and urges public authorities and stakeholders to take steps to prevent discrimination from being reproduced and amplified by these technologies.

These recommendations, made in collaboration with CNIL regarding the protection of personal data, are available on the Defender of Rights website.

The development of algorithmic technologies and learning systems requires institutions to maintain great vigilance on the consequences of these technological developments, but also to anticipate them, to allow the democratic debate to take place in an informed manner while they think of a legal protection framework and legislation of rights and freedoms.

The CNIL and defender of rights will continue their reflections on this issue and will contribute to those of public decision-makers. From this perspective, their compass must remain the will to ensure that everyone respects their fundamental rights, in particular that of not being discriminated against and that of protecting their personal data.

SOURCE: AUTORITA’ PER LA PROTEZIONE DEI DATI DELLA FRANCIA – CNIL