How We Did It: Amnesty International’s Investigation of Algorithms in Denmark’s Welfare System

Amnesty International’s Algorithmic Accountability Lab (AAL) led a sweeping probe into Udbetaling Danmark (UDK) Denmark 's welfare agency.

Its findings reveal troubling patterns that echo broader concerns across Europe : discriminatory practices of states targeting people seeking benefits.

Amnesty International conducted desk-based research to investigate whether the fraud control practices at the Danish welfare agency raised important human rights concerns.

The research was carried out in three stages between May 2022 and April 2024 .

The third stage involved building a holistic understanding of the UDK system’s inner workings.

Amnesty Tech’s Algorithmic Accountability Lab is a multidisciplinary, seven -person team researching the increasing use of algorithmic systems in welfare provision and social security.

The research was made possible due to the participation of numerous partners and collaborators willing to speak up about the Danish welfare agency's systems.

Technology cannot be divorced from the institutions that produce and deploy it, they say.