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The Robodebt scandal in Australia didn't spill over to violence in the streets, but it came close. Robodebt was a debt collection system introduced by the Feder
by nmaley 4y ago
The Robodebt scandal in Australia didn't spill over to violence in the streets, but it came close. Robodebt was a debt collection system introduced by the Federal government to recover supposed overpayments of social security. It was flawed at every level, including software design, and resulted in nationwide protests. see https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6037228/robo-debt-centrelink-staff-write-protest-material-in-response-to-debt-recovery-program/ https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6037228/robo-debt-cen...
- kragen 4y agoIt wasn't the collection agents who were protesting, though; it was the people being used by the software who protested against it, not the people who used it.
- mediumdeviation 4y agoSimilar but worse, the Horizon scandal in the UK where bugs in Fujitsu stocktaking software sent post office workers to jail and ruined lives because administrators took the software's side when it found accounting shortfalls https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56718036 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56718036
- scruss 4y agoHorizon was horrific. The spec was so old that the contract was with colonial favourites ICL, before they were fully renamed Fujitsu. Several postmasters committed suicide when the Royal Mail initiated fraud causes against them that were caused by Horizon accounting errors.
- fphhotchips 4y agoI would hesitate before being so quick to say "worse". Robodebt resulted in suicides and primarily targeted the vulnerable. I would suggest that both schemes just be labelled unconscionable.