The Data Welfare State

The integration of automation in welfare institutions is often promoted as a solution to budget constraints and demographic shifts. However, its efficiency is increasingly questioned due to hidden costs and challenges for case workers. This presentation introduces the book A Data Welfare State (2025, A. Kaun & A. Masso), which critically examines the contradictions of welfare automation and its impact on core public values, with a focus on case studies in Estonia, Sweden, and Germany. Using the concept of the "data welfare state," the book explores how sorting, classification, and decision-making are increasingly delegated to algorithmic systems. Our comparative empirical research highlights the human dimension of welfare automation, emphasizing the struggles faced by both workers and citizens as they navigate these technologies. The book also addresses the social and political consequences of automation, revealing biases and inequalities that arise despite promises of greater efficiency. By offering a roadmap for aligning technological advances with public values, this work is essential for researchers, students, and professionals in public administration, sociology, and critical data studies, as well as anyone interested in the digital transformation of welfare systems.