AI POLICY & EXPERT TESTIMONY

AI and Cyber Policy Research and Advisory for Litigators, Agencies, and Risk Managers

We help government and business clients research and evaluate the public policy and legal consequences or allowable parameters of emerging AI products, and applied AI in consumer, Human Resources, public safety, and other use.  We have supported entites ranging from the District of Columbia to the US Department of Homeland Security Headquarters in Washington, DC (Patriot Act and ICE policy modernization and review).


For companies, litigators, or media  contemplating AI or Cyber implications, we can provide in-depth analysis, forward-looking policy research, and technical evaluations.

CASE STUDY

ILLEGAL AI USE BY US REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITs) to FIX RENTS

The 6 corporate landlords facing US DOJ and multiple state government, as well as class action lawsuits in early 2025 include - some say, were led by - Camden Property Trust (CPT) of Houston. The creator of the Real Page algorithm-based, property management software that DOJ says let them collude and price fix to raise national rents by up to 35% during the pandemic. 


Since spring 2024, the DC Strategic Group has supported DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, and given expert testimony to the national civil rights law firm hired by DC to support its case against Camden Property Trust and Real Page. And furnished direct witness testimony and intelligence to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to "help bulid' its case against Camden and the other five cartel REITs. Initially, DOJ indicted only Real Page; about 6 months later, in January 2025, it broadened its efforts to include Camden, Grey Star and other properties.


We were an early advisor to tell  the DC AG and and other prosecutors that we believed not all users of Real Page colluded to price fixl. The Bozzutto Group, of Greenbelt, MD, for example, we found to have used Real Page only for normal property management and lease application needs.


  • Bozzutto, we found, did not manipulate rents; single out HUD voucher users for higher rents or abusive treatment;  and it did not appear to steal and share sensitive personal information;  or break into tenant bank accounts with Real Page. All actions of Camden Property Trust and other cartel members, per DOJ and other prosecutors.


This was a significant finding. Bozzutto was not named by the US DOJ in it January action.



Did Camden Property Trust and other DOJ-named cartel REITs cause higher rates of Covid-19 deaths and serious infections?


This was an allegation raised by some media and US members of Congress since 2022. Because from 2020-2023, the CDC and US White House sought aggressively to prevent landlord filings, evictions, or rent hikes because of predicted health impact from these in the pandemic. But Camden and the other 5 landlords named were said to have conspired to illegally raise rents nationwide, and especially in urban areas, by 20% - 35% since 2022. The CDC during this time, cited housing shortage and rent increase as the Number One controllable cause of Covid deaths and infections. An estimated 45% of Americans rent housing, and this corporate landlord cartel is said by DOJ to control roughly 80% of multi-family rentals.



Our algorithm and cyber security /Infosec expert testimony and  research supported DC AG Brian Schwalb (below); and encouraged MD AG Anthony Brown to include Camden Property Trust, and MD properties such as Camden Shady Grove (above, Rockville) to be included in his MD class action against Real Page, announced in January 2025. We also supported Verizon engineers and cyber teams in exploring Camden Property cyber security violations into tenant home Fios accounts.

DISTRIST OF COLUMBIA

Stop Discrimination by Algorithms Act of 2023

This landmark act is one of the first in America to outlaw the use of algorithmic decision-making in a discriminatory manner.


It requires covered entities  that use algorithms to make decisions about important life matters -  e.g. credit, housing, and employment -  to warn individuals and share the full algorithm formula(s) with them beforehand. It also lets impacted persons demand a government audit of  algorithmic decisions they think  discriminatory or unfair; with results reported to the DC  Attorney General; and gives individual right of action against violations.


Collection Agencies, Other Applications of this Act

Because women and single mothers, small businesses, and elderly are particularly vulnerable to algorithmic "discriminatory effects," Experian and other credit score formulae that penalize low-income earners, or consumers who use cash more than credit, also appear to violate this DC law.