Algorithms have become so powerful we need a robust, Europe-wide response | Marietje Schaake | Opinion | The Guardian: "Think about how algorithms can add to discrimination rather than combat it: is it really as easy for a black person to rent or post a room on Airbnb as it is for a white person? How do we prevent bogus conspiracy theories going viral? Is political content, whatever its leanings, treated equally on Facebook? Are users informed about who pays for political ads? Coca-Cola’s recipe may be a secret, but it can be tested for compliance with health requirements. And if hundreds of millions of people suddenly drank nothing but soft drinks, surely public authorities would start raising concerns and work out policies to address them.
None of this means we need new EU regulations or EU regulations to oversee technology platforms. The notion that laws should apply online as they do offline generally holds. But we do have to make sure there is accountability beyond mere promises of better behaviour.
For oversight to be possible, regulators need to be able to assess the workings of algorithms. This can be done in a confidential manner, by empowering telecommunications and competition regulators. Those software codes wouldn’t need to be published, but their workings could be scrutinised. The impact of algorithms could be tested through a form of sampling to assess their intentions, and whether they promote some kinds of content while downplaying others." 'via Blog this'
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