Bias In The Digital Age

Previously this blog has addressed issues of human rights in the digital age.  In a recent article, Prof. Sherley Cruz addresses social justice access and biases in digital technology.  Coding for Cultural Competency: Expanding Access to Justice Through Technology.  Here is the abstract: 

Innovations in legal technology are revolutionizing access to justice for individuals who previously had little or no ability to obtain legal assistance. This Article explores how the lack of culturally competent designs within legal technology negatively impacts diverse communities, thereby hindering the ability to expand access to justice. An examination of the underlying theories of access to justice and cultural competency illustrates why it is necessary for legal professionals and technology designers to incorporate culturally competent designs when developing legal technology. In light of ongoing changes in United States’ demographics, and the heightened need to provide access to justice given the current political climate, this Article uses the example of the Latinx community to illustrate how culture impacts the effectiveness of legal technology. Applying cross- cultural competence theory to legal technology allows for the identification of potential risks and provides a critical point of view from which to generate design principles that will increase access to justice for all.