The California Chamber of Commerce has expressed concern following the approval of new regulations on automated decision-making technology (ADMT) by the California Privacy Protection Agency. The organization issued a statement criticizing both the process and potential consequences of the new rules.
“The regulations approved by board members of the California Privacy Protection Agency are primed to cause significant harm to the state’s already-struggling economy.
“Even advocates who sharply disagree over the path forward on regulating automated decision-making technology raised concerns about the rush to judgment during the meeting of the board — a governing body that seemingly ignored some 400 pages of public comments as well as the suggestions made in the spring by Gov. Gavin Newsom and some two dozen legislators. Those thoughtful requests seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
“No less perplexing was the agency’s paper-thin economic analysis of the impact on California jobs and businesses, a cursory review that at best admits tens of thousands of Californians will be out of work before the end of the decade due to the pending regulations. Californians deserved transparency on how the economic analysis was conducted and whether it captured the scope of the sweeping rules being drafted.
“California faces an affordability crisis that is stifling efforts to reduce the cost of living for working families. Imposing inflexible regulations on a growing and vital part of the tech economy is a step in the wrong direction.”
The Chamber’s statement highlights worries that stricter oversight may lead to job losses in sectors affected by automation, at a time when affordability remains an issue for many residents across California.
