Five local authorities are accused of compiling 377,000 people’s data to develop an algorithm intended to predict child abuse, allowing social workers to intervene with families believed to need outreach, The Telegraph reports. A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office said it was looking into the matter, adding, “The use of predictive analytics for child safeguarding is clearly an activity that is likely to have a significant impact on the privacy of individuals.” Data alleged to have been collected includes “school attendance and exclusion records, housing association repairs and arrears information, and police records on antisocial behaviour and domestic violence.”
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