Ensuring Privacy and Confidentiality in Social Work Through Intentional Omissions of Information in Client Information Systems

There is intensive debate about the use of AI-based systems in social work, although the degree of digitalization is low in many jurisdictions. In this article, the findings of research about the process of case recording in client information systems for social work are presented. Between January and June 2020, 20 guideline-based interviews were conducted with experts working for funding agencies or service providers. A significant finding was that there are intentional omissions of information within digital client records, despite being relevant for further case processing. This finding and the reasons for omission are highly relevant to the current debate on AI, because it extends consideration beyond the ethics of design to include the ethics of usage.