Press Release: Over Two Dozen Labor Unions, Civil Rights Groups, and Public Interest Advocates Endorse New York’s BOT Act

(ALBANY, NY) – Today, a coalition of more than two dozen organizations announced support for New York Senate Bill 7623/Assembly Bill A.9315, the Bossware and Oppressive Technologies (BOT) Act. This bill, sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member George Alvarez, would provide crucial protections to workers in the face of the threats posed by electronic surveillance and automated management (or bossware) systems and automated employment decision tools (AEDTs). 

Bossware systems have been shown to threaten workers’ health and safety in addition to their privacy. AEDTs have been demonstrated to show persistent bias–and often not to work at all.  Moreover, workers are often unaware when these technologies are being used and rarely have the opportunity to challenge unfair or discriminatory decisions that are made using them. The BOT Act would help level the playing field by increasing transparency and protecting workers from exploitative and harmful uses of these technologies.