The virtual panopticon and the banalization of social risks: qualitative evidence about algorithmic decision-making in Belgian municipalities

The development of algorithms and data in Belgium has received some attention in recent years, but philosophical considerations have been left aside from the discussion. This work aims to fill this gap by investigating how public reason can interact with algorithms in Belgium. The approach is twofold. First, we develop a theoretical framework to construct the concept of public reason, which is expected to be aligned with the current stage and development of technology. Second, we test this framework using data from public administration at subnational level for three Belgian local authorities, Liège (Wallonia), Namur (Wallonia), and Antwerp (Flanders). By means of a qualitative approach based on interviews, we find how algorithms and data reduce men into simplified singularities and then provoke a “banalization” of public reason. This banalization of public reason leads to a banalization of local social risks.