False Positives

About False Positives

What would you do if you were suddenly cut off from all your bank accounts? You can’t pay for anything, and you can’t really get answers as to why it happened. And how would you feel if you found out that the decision to cut you off from your money was in part made by an algorithm? Banks have to use automated systems to monitor their transactions and customers to fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism. But sometimes, those systems go wrong, leading to people’s bank accounts being blocked or closed. That is happening to a lot of customers across Europe : small business owners, NGOs, religious organisations, migrants, political refugees... Even politicians. There could be thousands of victims, according to data released in some countries. This phenomenon is called de-banking. It can happen through a semi-automated decision-making process involving algorithms and Artificial Intelligence. When mistakes are made by these systems, they are called “false positives”. False positives – a podcast series produced by AlgorithmWatch and the international news agency Agence France-Presse – will take you on a journey across Europe. From Spain, to France and the UK, from Turkey to Germany and Poland, we talked to those who battled to have mistakes overturned, and industry insiders who’ll lift the lid on how and why this is happening. Host : Alex Cadier Editing by Camille Kauffmann Music is by Nicolas Vair Reporting and research by Pablo Jimenez Arandia, Naiara Bellio, Nicolas Kayser-Bril Yasir Gökce, Mayra Russo, Mathilde Saliou for Algorithm Watch; Benoît Pelegrin, Burcin Gercek and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for AFP. Editors in chiefs: Naiara Bellio, for AlgorithmWatch and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for Agence France-Presse. This podcast was based on a six month investigation conducted in the framework of the AlgorithmWatch Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellowship. AlgorithmWatch is a non-profit organization based in Berlin and Zurich that fights to ensure that use of algorithms and Artificial Intelligence benefits the many, not just the few. Agence France-Presse, is a leading global news agency present in 150 countries. It contributed with additional research and fact-checking in the UK, France and Turkey, as well as the production of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

AFP Audio

Category

news · news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Dec 2024

Latest episode

3 Jan 2025

Latest episodes

4 of 4 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   3 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT

   No Refuge

   What if banks were called upon to enforce laws passed by authoritarian leaders against their political opponents? Dystopian as it might sound, this is happening within the European Union. Data brokers collect online accusatory information from refugees and dissidents. Information that is used by banks to assess their client’s risk profile. Should the banks comply? Can they be trusted to make the right Welcome back to False Positives, a podcast series by Agence France Presse and Algorithm Watch - this is episode 3 - No refuge. CREDITS Host : Alex Cadier Editing by Camille Kauffmann Music is by Nicolas Vair Reporting and research by Pablo Jimenez Arandia, Naiara Bellio, Nicolas Kayser-Bril Yasir Gökce, Mayra Russo, Mathilde Saliou for Algorithm Watch; Benoît Pelegrin, Burcin Gercek and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for AFP. Editors in chiefs: Naiara Bellio, for AlgorithmWatch and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for Agence France-Presse. Translations : Nathalie Handel, Joshua Melvin, Jean-Marc Mojon, Gregory Viscusi, Christopher Wright, Joseph Schmid, Phillip Hazlewood This podcast was based on a six month investigation conducted in the framework of the AlgorithmWatch Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellowship. AlgorithmWatch is a non-profit organization based in Berlin and Zurich that fights to ensure that use of algorithms and Artificial Intelligence benefits the many, not just the few. Agence France-Presse, a leading global news agency present in 150 countries, contributed with additional research and fact-checking in the UK, France and Turkey, as well as the production of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   2 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Mass Surveillance

   One way or another, financial actors are required by law to monitor their customers to fight money laundering. That means we are all under surveillance. Even high profile politicians are getting tangled up in this monitoring network as well. Insiders take us behind the scenes of that surveillance machinery, powered sometimes by automated systems. For a good cause? Welcome to False Positives - a podcast series by Agence France-Presse and Algorithm Watch. Episode #2 : Mass Surveillance. Host : Alex Cadier Editing by Camille Kauffmann Music is by Nicolas Vair Reporting and research by Pablo Jimenez Arandia, Naiara Bellio, Nicolas Kayser-Bril Yasir Gökce, Mayra Russo, Mathilde Saliou for Algorithm Watch; Benoît Pelegrin, Burcin Gercek and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for AFP. Interview of Nigel Farage by Peter McCormack (https://www.youtube.com/@MrObnoxiousPod), in The Debanking of Nigel Farage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIfBYTcoWok) Translations : Nathalie Handel, Joshua Melvin, Jean-Marc Mojon, Gregory Viscusi, Christopher Wright, Joseph Schmid, Phillip Hazlewood Editors in chiefs: Naiara Bellio, for AlgorithmWatch and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for Agence France-Presse. Leave us a message or send us a voice note with your suggestions ! Contact : podcast@afp.com or via whatsapp at + 33 6 79 77 38 45. This podcast was based on a six month investigation conducted in the framework of the AlgorithmWatch Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellowship. AlgorithmWatch is a non-profit organization based in Berlin and Zurich that fights to ensure that use of algorithms and Artificial Intelligence benefits the many, not just the few. Agence France-Presse, a leading global news agency present in 150 countries, contributed with additional research and fact-checking in the UK, France and Turkey, as well as the production of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   1 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Banking, by Kafka

   What would you do if you were suddenly cut off from all your bank accounts? You can’t pay for anything, you can’t get paid and you can’t really get answers as to why it happened. And how would you feel if you found out that the decision to cut you off from your money was in part made by an algorithm? Banks have no choice, they have to use automated systems to monitor their transactions and customers. But sometimes, those systems go wrong leading to people’s bank accounts being blocked or closed. And that is happening to a lot of people around the world: small business owners, NGOs, religious organisations, migrants, political refugees... Even politicians. There could be thousands of victims. When it happens, they face an administrative inferno and very practical issues like not being able to pay their bills. This phenomenon is called de-banking and data shows it is on the rise. It can happen through a semi-automated decision-making process involving algorithms. When mistakes are made by these systems, they are called “false positives”. In this podcast, co-produced by Agence France-Presse, and Algorithm Watch, we’ll talk to those who battled to have mistakes overturned, and industry insiders who’ll lift the lid on how and why this is happening. Host : Alex Cadier Editing by Camille Kauffmann Music is by Nicolas Vair Reporting and research by Pablo Jimenez Arandia, Naiara Bellio, Nicolas Kayser-Bril Yasir Gökce, Mayra Russo, Mathilde Saliou for Algorithm Watch; Benoît Pelegrin, Burcin Gercek and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for AFP. Translations : Nathalie Handel, Joshua Melvin, Jean-Marc Mojon, Gregory Viscusi, Christopher Wright, Joseph Schmid, Phillip Hazlewood Editors in chiefs: Naiara Bellio, for AlgorithmWatch and Michaëla Cancela-Kieffer for Agence France-Presse. This podcast was based on a six month investigation conducted in the framework of the AlgorithmWatch Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellowship. AlgorithmWatch is a non-profit organization based in Berlin and Zurich that fights to ensure that use of algorithms and Artificial Intelligence benefits the many, not just the few. Agence France-Presse, a leading global news agency present in 150 countries, contributed with additional research and fact-checking in the UK, France and Turkey, as well as the production of the podcast. Leave us a message or send us a voice note with your suggestions ! Contact : podcast@afp.com or via whatsapp at + 33 6 79 77 38 45. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   19 Dec 2024TRANSCRIPT

   False Positives

   What would you do if you were suddenly cut off from all your bank accounts? You can’t pay for anything, and you can’t really get answers as to why it happened. And how would you feel if you found out that the decision to cut you off from your money was in part made by an algorithm? Banks have to use automated systems to monitor their transactions and customers to fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism. But sometimes, those systems go wrong, leading to people’s bank accounts being blocked or closed. That is happening to a lot of customers across Europe: small business owners, NGOs, religious organisations, migrants, political refugees... Even politicians. There could be thousands of victims, according to data released in some countries. This phenomenon is called de-banking. It can happen through a semi-automated decision-making process involving algorithms and Artificial Intelligence. When mistakes are made by these systems, they are called “false positives”. False positives – a podcast series produced by AlgorithmWatch and the international news agency Agence France-Presse – will take you on a journey across Europe. From Spain, to France and the UK, from Turkey to Germany and Poland, we talked to those who battled to have mistakes overturned, and industry insiders who’ll lift the lid on how and why this is happening. Available January 1rst, wherever you get your podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Inside a recent episode

No Refuge

Published 3 Jan 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] On July 15, 2016, a coup attempt happened in Turkey. Some groups tried to take over the control. There was a bombing of Turkish parliament in Ankara. So there was a real coup attempt, but which failed, which resulted by President Erdogan claiming victory and claiming much more power. Virgin Gercek is one of AFP's correspondents in the Turkish capital. Gulen movement members always denies to be behind the coup attempt in Turkey. But Turkish government is directly accusing Gulen movement to be behind the coup attempts for them it's clear because many army members who were closely related to the movement who were involved in this coup attempt. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

12 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

67

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

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