What is automated decision making?

Definition

Automated decision-making is decision-making based solely on the automated processing of personal data that affects the interests of the data subject, such as the creation of a personal, professional, consumer, or credit profile.

Credit approval based on score, automated resume screening, dynamic pricing, and algorithmic account blocking are examples. The LGPD (Brazilian General Data Protection Law) does not prohibit the practice, but it guarantees the data subject the right to request a review and to know the criteria.

What does the LGPD say?

Article 20 of LGPD The law guarantees the data subject the right to request a review of decisions made solely on the basis of automated processing and obliges the controller to provide, when requested, clear information about the criteria and procedures used, respecting commercial and industrial secrets. The ANPD (National Data Protection Authority) may conduct audits to verify discriminatory aspects. Article 22 of the law... GDPR and AI Act They address the issue with requirements for human supervision in high-risk systems.

In practice

• Inventory the automated decisions that affect people and the systems that make them.
• Document the criteria and data used, in language that can be explained to the data subject.
• Create a review workflow that records both the request and the response.
• Assess bias and discriminatory impact before putting the system into production.

How Privacy Tools it deals with the topic

The module of AI Governance It inventories the systems that make automated decisions, classifies the risk, and records the controls; Management of Holders' Requests receives and responds to requests for review.

Related terms

Algorithmic Impact Report · AI Act · PL 2338 / 2023 · Data subject · Back to glossary

Updated October 3th, 2026.