MPs across parties tore into the Government’s Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill at the report stage. Multiple MPS said that because of mass bank spying powers in the Bill, tens of thousands of people could be wrongly implicated for welfare fraud. Big Brother Watch’s Jasleen Chaggar said:
“This law undermines the presumption of innocence and treats people as suspects by default.”
“The use of algorithmic software to snoop on everyone’s bank accounts will inevitably lead to devastating errors which will disproportionately impact elderly people, disabled people, carers, single parents and the poorest in our society.”
“Despite 25 civil society groups and 237,775 members of the public calling on parliament to drop the mass bank spying powers, the government is still pushing ahead. It will now be up to the House of Lords to challenge the harmful and rights-eroding provisions in this bill.”