A 11 Initiative’s senior legal advisor Nađa Marković participated in a professional panel on the impact of digital technologies on economic and social rights of marginalized social groups, organized by Amnesty International in Amsterdam.
On July 10, the panel brought together experienced experts from various parts of the world, united by a common theme: the violation of everyday rights due to the rapid introduction of digital technologies, with devastating effects on vulnerable citizens.
The panel was part of “Exploring Intersectionality”, an event designed as a space to analyze the impact of technology through the gender lens and the available mechanisms for advocacy, as women and the LGBTQ+ population are particularly vulnerable groups in society.
Nađa Marković shared with the panelists her years of experience from the A 11 Initiative in analyzing and testing the implementation of the Social Card Information System, as well as insights from working with users of the social protection system affected by the implementation of this registry.
Since the introduction of the Social Card Law in 2022, the Social Card registry has harmed at least 44,000 socially vulnerable individuals. As Marković explained, the system is based on collecting and algorithmically processing over 140 personal data points (many of which are particularly sensitive) and semi-automatic decision-making regarding social benefits. These decisions are, as many experiences of A 11 Initiative show, often flawed and incorrect, leading to harm for users of the social protection system and their exclusion.
A 11 Initiative has also legally represented affected citizens directly in proceedings, utilizing all available mechanisms. From these processes, we have gained insight into the state’s unwillingness to responsibly address economic and social rights, as well as a lack of awareness about the dangers of digital technologies and their consequences.
As both the panel and Amnesty International emphasize in their work, digital technologies and their growing capabilities pose a serious threat to economic and social rights in an environment where they are implemented without a plan and seemingly with malicious intent. Many countries, including Serbia, face these challenges, indicating that the work of A 11 Initiative and related organizations worldwide will become even more intense, as concluded from this event in Amsterdam.
