RSF welcomes the European Commission's request for transparency on social media algorithms
The European Commission has asked YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok to explain the mechanics behind their recommendation algorithms, which are suspected of negatively affecting public debate, electoral processes and media pluralism. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes this initiative and demands that the platforms' responses be made public. The Commission should also oblige these platforms to promote reliable sources of information to uphold pluralistic, quality journalism.
The European Commission has finally asked YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok for information on the inner workings of their algorithms. These requests, authorised under the Digital Services Act (DSA), are part of the Commission’s efforts to mitigate the systemic risks these social media platforms could produce. The European Commission seeks to clarify how these platforms design their recommendation algorithms and identify the potential dangers they pose to society. In the case of TikTok, there are specific concerns about “media pluralism” and how vulnerable its algorithm is to being manipulated by malicious actors.
The three platforms have until 15 November to respond to these requests. RSF welcomes this commendable initiative by the Commission and calls on the platforms to make their responses public. The threats posed by poorly regulated algorithms concern society as a whole, and the demand for transparency must be taken into account by all parties.
"The answers that TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat give to the European Commission must be convincing, and discussing them in small groups will not suffice. RSF calls for greater transparency from the companies responsible for these social media platforms, and urges them to make their responses to the Commission’s requests public. Promoting media pluralism and preventing the manipulation of these algorithms requires strong measures, especially on identifying reliable sources and promoting them in content recommendation algorithms."
If these platforms fail to convince the Commission that they are taking the necessary steps to mitigate the identified risks, the Commission may initiate an investigation into whether the DSA has been breached. This has already been done for X (formerly Twitter) concerning the propagation of illicit disinformation.
Promoting reliable sources on platforms
RSF advocates for the strict regulation of large digital platforms whose recommendation algorithms can encourage disinformation, marginalise independent media, and amplify the propaganda of authoritarian regimes. To counter this harmful dynamic, these platforms must calibrate their algorithms to prioritise quality information. The damage caused by TikTok's algorithm is a legitimate concern, but several of the platform’s competitors deserve similar attention. The removal of Facebook News, for example, was a particularly bad decision in terms of elevating reliable information, especially as the platform’s referencing of news outlets is reportedly in free fall. With over 300 million daily users in Europe, Facebook should exemplify the promotion of reliable sources.
The strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation, updated in May 2022, indicates the way forward: integrate tools such as the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), an international standard for journalistic ethics launched by RSF, into recommendation algorithms. By incorporating the JTI, social media platforms will be able to identify reliable journalistic sources and update their algorithms to amplify them.
