Call for more transparency on how such tools are used in public services as 20 councils stop using computer algorithms. The Home Office recently stopped using an algorithm to help decide visa applications after allegations that it contained “entrenched racism”.

Many of the public and private services we use are now digital. The move to digital is likely to increase as technology becomes more embedded in our lives. But what does this mean for how essential public services understand who is using, or indeed not using, them and why? § Data about the protected characteristics of people using these services isn’t currently collected andstatistics aren’t published in a consistent or collective way. This means it is harder tofind out who is excluded from using these services and why.