Algorithmic Rule By Law

With the promise of greater efficiency and effectiveness, public authorities have increasingly turned to algorithmic systems to regulate and govern society. In Algorithmic Rule By Law, Nathalie Smuha examines this reliance on algorithmic regulation and shows how it can erode the rule of law. Drawing on extensive research and examples, Smuha argues that outsourcing important administrative decisions to algorithmic systems undermines core principles of democracy.

Smuha further demonstrates that this risk is far from hypothetical or one that can be confined to authoritarian regimes, as many of her examples are drawn from public authorities in liberal democracies that are already making use of algorithmic regulation. Focusing on the European Union, Smuha argues that the EU's digital agenda is misaligned with its aim to protect the rule of law. Novel and timely, this book should be read by anyone interested in the intersection of law, technology and government.

- Conceptualizes the threat of 'algorithmic rule by law', where public authorities' irresponsible reliance on algorithmic regulation erodes the rule of law
- Highlights concrete examples of algorithmic systems used by public administrations in liberal democracies, through an interdisciplinary lens
- Examines the current legal framework's failure to safeguard citizens against the threat of algorithmic rule by law