Ethics Audit Scorecard

Eighteen questions across six dimensions, answered by you about your own system. The score reflects your answers, not the facts behind them.

Transparency

Can affected people understand how decisions are made?

Is the decision-making process documented and publicly accessible?

Can a user trace how their data influenced an outcome?

Are limitations and failure modes openly disclosed?

Accountability

Who is responsible when things go wrong?

Is there a named person or team accountable for adverse outcomes?

Can affected people contest a decision and get a human review?

Are there documented escalation paths that lead to resolution?

Fairness

Are benefits and burdens distributed equitably?

Does the system produce different outcomes for different groups?

Was the system tested for disparate impact before deployment?

Are the people most affected involved in the design process?

Privacy

How is personal data collected, used, and protected?

Is data collection limited to what is strictly necessary?

Can users access, correct, and delete their data?

Is data shared with third parties only with explicit consent?

Sustainability

What are the environmental and social costs?

Are the resource costs of running the system measured and disclosed?

Does the system create dependencies that are hard to exit?

Is there a plan for responsible decommissioning?

Power Dynamics

Who holds leverage, and who absorbs risk?

Can users easily leave the system without losing access to their own data or history?

Does the system concentrate decision-making authority in a small group?

Are the people who bear the costs the same people who receive the benefits?