CAL.Litigation
ACLU asks California civil rights agency to investigate Criteria's Emotify hiring assessment
The ACLU and the ACLU of Northern California filed a complaint on October 6, 2026, asking the California Civil Rights Department to investigate Criteria Corp.'s hiring assessments. The complaint centers on Emotify, an emotional intelligence test the groups say closely mirrors clinical autism diagnostic tools and may unlawfully screen out disabled applicants under state and federal law.
Filing (ACLU of Northern California) → · Bloomberg Law, Law360
Key points
- The ACLU and ACLU of Northern California asked the California Civil Rights Department to investigate Criteria Corp.ACLU of Northern CaliforniaBloomberg LawLaw360
- Emotify claims to measure emotional intelligence by asking candidates to interpret facial expressions and match them to emotions.ACLU of Northern California
- The groups say the test closely mirrors clinical diagnostic tests for autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions.ACLU of Northern CaliforniaBloomberg Law
- They argue its use before a job offer could violate California's Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.ACLU of Northern CaliforniaBloomberg Law
- The complaint also raises concerns about Criteria's aptitude and personality tests and AI video interviewing and proctoring tools.ACLU of Northern California