Dark Money Tactics in Energy Advocacy, an An Algorithmic Discrimination Investigation, and More on Meta’s Child Safety Failures
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** CfA's March 17, 2023 Newsletter
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With your support, Campaign for Accountability is working to expose corruption and hold the powerful accountable.
** This Week's Updates:
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Dark Money Tactics Across All Types of Energy Advocacy
On Wednesday, CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith wrote an op-ed for The Well News ([link removed]) calling continued attention to entities in the green energy movement that use dark money tactics similar to those used by Big Oil. Specifically, the op-ed calls out a lack of media transparency when reporting on the Energy and Policy Institute (EPI). EPI is opaque about its funding and appears to be the creation of a public relations firm ([link removed]) ; those traits alone should disqualify it as a credible source for energy policy.
The Institute also appears to have ties to the for-profit rooftop solar industry. While solar energy is a crucial part of a green energy future, some large solar installers have been plagued by consumer harms. Previously, CfA urged the FTC to investigate deceptive social media advertisements run by rooftop solar companies, some of which alluded to non-existent government programs or subsidies. This complaint built on earlier actions ([link removed]) by CfA in Arizona, Nevada, and New York, where solar companies mislead homeowners and performed inadequate installations.
DoJ Investigates Foster Care Algorithm
The Department of Human Services in Alleghany County, PA, places children in foster care using an algorithm which draws data from public agencies to create risk scores that, allegedly, reflect a child’s likelihood of experiencing neglect. Now, the Department of Justice is investigating ([link removed]) the county’s child welfare system for potentially discriminating against parents with disabilities, who were docked points for seeking mental and behavioral health care from the county. Parents who sought mental health care from private providers would not have been penalized, as the algorithm drew from public data. Beyond discriminating against lower-income individuals, the policy may be unjustly separating parents from their children on the basis of disability status or proxies for disability, such as SSI benefits.
The Biden Administration identified algorithmic discrimination protections as a priority for its “AI Bill of Rights ([link removed]) ,” which is meant to serve as a roadmap for the design, use, and implementation of automated systems like Alleghany County’s. Last year, the DoJ’s Civil Rights Division released an assistance document ([link removed]) on how artificial intelligence hiring products can discriminate against candidates with disabilities, and laid out guidance to help employers avoid violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. If the Alleghany County investigation proceeds, it could be an opportunity to establish new algorithmic safeguards for protected groups.
TTP Reports Cited by Plaintiffs in Major Social Media Lawsuit
Earlier this week, an unredacted complaint ([link removed]) from a major social media lawsuit revealed that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was personally warned about the dangers that Facebook and Instagram posed to young users. In the summer of 2019, Zuckerberg met with a psychologist who explained how Instagram had triggered a spike in teen girls’ mental health problems. According to Meta’s own records, the psychologist argued that research “points heavily” to a connection between teen social media use and negative mental health outcomes; “not just from correlational studies but from true experiments, which strongly indicate causation, not just correlation.”
The complaint cited two reports from CfA’s Tech Transparency Project – the first concerned harmful teen ads ([link removed]) approved by Facebook, while the second investigated disturbing and inappropriate content ([link removed]) served to children through YouTube Kids. Supported by this research and a trove of employee interviews, the plaintiffs are now attempting to build a case against several companies, including Meta, Google (which owns YouTube), ByteDance, and SnapChat.
** What We're Reading:
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VA EHR linked to veterans ‘fatally harmed,’ senators say, but agency still sees way forward for project ([link removed])
Justice Dept. Investigating TikTok’s Owner Over Possible Spying on Journalists ([link removed])
U.S. FTC asks social media, video streaming firms info on misleading ads ([link removed])
** Follow Our Work:
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We thank you for your continued support. Without people like you, our work would not be possible.
Here is how you can stay involved and help us accomplish our mission:
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2. Follow the Tech Transparency Project on Twitter ([link removed]) .
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5. Make a tax-deductible donation ([link removed]) .
Be on the lookout for more updates about our work in the upcoming weeks. Thanks again for signing up to be a part of CfA!
Sincerely,
Michelle Kuppersmith
Executive Director, Campaign for Accountability
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