STREET-LEVEL ALGORITHMS? DILEMMAS OF DIGITALIZATION IN PUBLIC SERVICE

Abstract

With the intensification of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in public administration, certain social services and benefits have come to be accessed entirely through digital means. In this context, authors have argued that traditional street-level bureaucrats – professionals who directly serve the population within their territory – are being replaced by "street-level algorithms," which mediate the provision of public services within a logic of digitalization of public policies that leaves no room for human discretion. This article proposes a critical analysis of this terminology, questioning what these systems are, where they are stored, and how they operate. In this debate, we suggest that automation, depending on its design and context of use, can either limit agents' discretion or support it. As our central thesis, we argue that the use of rigid systems can hinder access to public policies, in addition to reducing transparency. Through the exemplification of three Brazilian systems, the text highlights the different social impacts of algorithm use in the public sector, emphasizing the importance of considering the technical, political, and social variables involved in each case.