# Automating Inequality

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Book by Virginia Eubanks

Automating Inequality Author Virginia Eubanks Subject technology and poverty Published 2018 Publisher St. Martin's Press Awards Stephan Russo Book Prize (shortlist) ISBN 978-1-250-07431-7

***Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor*** is a book by [Virginia Eubanks](/source/Virginia_Eubanks).

## Background

The book focuses on how automation negatively impacts the poor.[1] In the United States during the 19th century, poor people were often sent to [poorhouses](/source/Poorhouse#United_States).[2] Eubanks draws a connection from the poorhouses of the 19th century to how we control and contain poor people using technology in the 21st century.[3] Eubanks is an associate professor of political science at [State University of New York](/source/State_University_of_New_York).[4]

The book discusses how housing in Los Angeles has been automated.[5] The book discusses [Mitch Daniels](/source/Mitch_Daniels)'s attempt to privatize and automate welfare in Indiana.[6] The attempt led to a 54% increase in the denial of benefits from the previous three years.[7] In Pittsburgh, there was an attempt to use predictive risk modeling to identify at-risk children.[8] Many automated processes are intended to maximize profit.[9] The last chapter goes over ways that these oppressive systems can be dismantled.[10]

## Reception

*[LibraryJournal](/source/LibraryJournal)* praised the book for covering academic material in a way that is easy to read.[11] The book was shortlisted for the Stephan Russo Book Prize.[12] The *[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times)* compared and contasted the book with *[Algorithms of Oppression](/source/Algorithms_of_Oppression)*.[13]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Featherstone_2018_1-0)** Featherstone, Liza (May 4, 2018). ["How Big Data Is 'Automating Inequality'"](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/books/review/automating-inequality-virginia-eubanks.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/books/review/automating-inequality-virginia-eubanks.html) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Nam_2018_2-0)** Nam, Michael (January 23, 2018). ["'Automating Inequality' warns of a dystopian future punishing the poor — in the present: book review"](https://www.nydailynews.com/2018/01/23/automating-inequality-warns-of-a-dystopian-future-punishing-the-poor-in-the-present-book-review/). *[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://www.nydailynews.com/2018/01/23/automating-inequality-warns-of-a-dystopian-future-punishing-the-poor-in-the-present-book-review/) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Adler-Bell_2018_3-0)** Adler-Bell, Sam (January 29, 2018). ["The High-Tech Poorhouse"](https://jacobin.com/2018/01/virginia-eubanks-interview-automating-inequality-poverty). *[Jacobin](/source/Jacobin_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://jacobin.com/2018/01/virginia-eubanks-interview-automating-inequality-poverty) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lenhart_2018_4-0)** Lenhart, Amanda (March 29, 2018). ["How Algorithms Can Punish the Poor"](https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/03/automating-inequality-author-virginia-eubanks-on-how-algorithms-can-punish-the-poor.html). *[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1091-2339](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1091-2339). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/03/automating-inequality-author-virginia-eubanks-on-how-algorithms-can-punish-the-poor.html) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fussell_2018_5-0)** Fussell, Sidney (January 23, 2018). ["How Algorithmic Experiments Harm People Living in Poverty"](https://gizmodo.com/how-algorithmic-experiments-harm-people-living-in-pover-1822311248). *[Gizmodo](/source/Gizmodo)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://gizmodo.com/how-algorithmic-experiments-harm-people-living-in-pover-1822311248) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Weisberg_2018_6-0)** Weisberg, Jacob (June 7, 2018). ["The Digital Poorhouse"](https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2018/06/07/algorithms-digital-poorhouse/). *[The New York Review of Books](/source/The_New_York_Review_of_Books)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0028-7504](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0028-7504). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2018/06/07/algorithms-digital-poorhouse/) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Edes_2018_7-0)** Edes, Alyssa; Bowman, Emma (February 19, 2018). ["'Automating Inequality': Algorithms In Public Services Often Fail The Most Vulnerable"](https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2018/02/19/586387119/automating-inequality-algorithms-in-public-services-often-fail-the-most-vulnerab). *[NPR](/source/NPR)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2018/02/19/586387119/automating-inequality-algorithms-in-public-services-often-fail-the-most-vulnerab) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Phillips_2018_8-0)** Phillips, Stephen (February 16, 2018). ["Books by Virginia Eubanks, Jeremy Bailenson, Niall Ferguson"](https://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Books-by-Virginia-Eubanks-Jeremy-Bailenson-12541649.php). *[SFGate](/source/SFGate)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229035956/https://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Books-by-Virginia-Eubanks-Jeremy-Bailenson-12541649.php) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kirkus_2017_9-0)** ["Equal parts advocacy and analysis—a welcome addition to the growing literature around the politics of welfare"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/virginia-eubanks/automating-inequality/). *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)*. October 16, 2017. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/virginia-eubanks/automating-inequality/) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Dziuban_2017_10-0)** Dziuban, Emily (December 15, 2017). ["Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor"](https://www.booklistonline.com/Automating-Inequality-How-High-Tech-Tools-Profile-Police-and-Punish-the-Poor-Virginia-Eubanks/pid=9189324). *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131621/https://www.booklistonline.com/Automating-Inequality-How-High-Tech-Tools-Profile-Police-and-Punish-the-Poor-Virginia-Eubanks/pid=9189324) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bridgewater_2018_11-0)** Bridgewater, Rachel (February 1, 2018). ["Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor"](https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/automating-inequality-how-high-tech-tools-profile-police-and-punish-the-poor). *[Library Journal](/source/Library_Journal)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131622/https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/automating-inequality-how-high-tech-tools-profile-police-and-punish-the-poor) from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Russo_2018_12-0)** ["Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice Shortlist"](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=2018). *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240302160305/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=2018) from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fine_2018_13-0)** Fine, Cordelia (March 7, 2018). ["Coded prejudice: how algorithms fuel injustice"](https://www.ft.com/content/5e3901a6-208e-11e8-8d6c-a1920d9e946f). *[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times)*. Retrieved February 29, 2024.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

Authority control databases Open Library

Authority control databases Open Library

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Automating Inequality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automating_Inequality) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automating_Inequality?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.