Croydon residents face AI‑run Council Tax Support survey
Council Tax Support feedback will be collected by Commonplace Digital, a Zencity subsidiary owned by former IDF cyber unit member Eyal Feder, with a deadline of 10 November 2026.
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Croydon Council announced that the public consultation on Council Tax Support will be managed by Commonplace Digital Ltd, a firm acquired by Zencity in 2025. The move places the collection and analysis of resident responses in the hands of a company whose chief executive, Eyal Feder, previously served in the Israeli Defence Force’s elite cyber‑warfare unit, Unit 8200.
Why the outsourcing matters to local households
Croydon Council consults on £650m budget with £83.7m savings planned
Residents have until 30 November 2026 to share views on proposals for essential services and financial recovery.
The Council Tax Support scheme provides financial relief to households on low incomes, the elderly and people with disabilities. By delegating the survey to an external AI‑driven platform, the council aims to streamline data processing, but residents are being asked to share personal circumstances through an online questionnaire hosted on a system linked to Zencity’s broader analytics infrastructure.
Zencity has developed a product that is a surveillance technology that law enforcement can use to collect millions of data points from social media platforms.
Bob Goonin, Jewish Voice for Peace
Inside Croydon reported that the consultation page includes a clear deadline of 10 November 2026. The article also noted that Zencity claims more than 600 UK local authorities already use its AI‑native workflow tools, although it did not provide details on data‑retention or third‑party access.
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How residents can respond
Households wishing to influence the Council Tax Support policy should complete the online form before the deadline. The council’s website provides a link to the questionnaire and a contact email for the Digital Services team, who can answer questions about how the data will be stored and who will have access.
Croydon Council has not released a detailed data‑protection impact assessment for the partnership with Commonplace Digital. Residents who are uncomfortable with the arrangement are advised to raise formal objections through the council’s standard consultation response channel before the deadline.
Questions this report answers
+What is being outsourced by Croydon Council?
The council has handed the collection of resident feedback on the Council Tax Support scheme to Commonplace Digital Ltd, a subsidiary of Zencity. This means the online questionnaire and its analysis will be run by that private firm.
+Who leads the company handling the survey?
Eyal Feder is the founder and chief executive of Zencity, which owns Commonplace Digital. He previously served in the Israeli Defence Force’s Unit 8200, an elite signals‑intelligence and cyber‑warfare unit.
+When must residents submit their responses?
All submissions to the Council Tax Support consultation must be entered by 10 November 2026. The deadline is displayed on the council’s consultation page and is the final date for feedback to be counted.
+How can residents raise concerns about data use?
Residents can contact Croydon Council’s Digital Services team via the email address listed on the consultation page. They may request information on data handling, lodge objections, or ask for alternative ways to provide feedback.
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