Rep. McNamara to introduce bill that would prohibit companies from discriminating with data

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Representative Joseph M. McNamara has introduced a bill that would prohibit insurance companies from using personal data to discriminate against those whose civil liberties are protected by law.

This would prohibit insurance companies from using underwriting algorithms that can judge a person by their information and make decisions like denying applicants or how much to change applicants.

“While computer programmers who build algorithms may be trying sincerely to be fair, it’s easy to see how certain raw data doesn’t take into account the civil liberties that all people enjoy under the law,” said Representative McNamara. “This legislation aims to protect citizens from this discrimination, even if that discrimination is unintentional. All of the civil rights law we’ve enacted to eliminate discrimination could be violated by insurance companies that use algorithms that strictly use raw data and come up with numbers that target specific groups.”

This act would also force the Director of Business Regulation with the Health Insurance Commissioner, to come up with rules and provisions to enforce the bill.