Press Release: CDT and AAPD Applaud EEOC and DOJ Focus on AI-Based Hiring Discrimination

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) welcome the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice‘s announcement of guidance for preventing algorithms and AI-based systems from discriminating against people with disabilities. Such guidance is the first of its kind from a U.S. government agency, and follows long-standing calls from CDT, AAPD, and other civil society organizations for stronger oversight and robust enforcement against these technologies, which often discriminate against disabled jobseekers and employees.

Algorithm-driven technologies for hiring and employee evaluation are increasingly being used by employers, with the purported aim of removing bias. But, as the EEOC and DOJ pointed out today in new guidance, using these technologies carries a high risk of widespread discriminatory impact for people with disabilities and may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

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