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[Lianhao Qu / Creative Commons] 
CAMPAIGNERS have accused the government of slipping amendments into the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill that grant welfare surveillance powers.
The amendments will enable the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to spy on the bank accounts of anyone receiving benefits, according to the Open Rights Group.
The targets could include the 12.6 million people on the state pension, as well as those who claim child benefit, universal credit and disability living allowance.
While claiming to target fraud, Labour’s snooping Bill strips benefit recipients of privacy rights and presumption of innocence, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE, warning that algorithms with up to 25 per cent error rates could wrongfully investigate and harass millions of vulnerable people
