China Imposes Law To Free Users From Tech Companies’ Algorithms

Photo 183429446 © Shao-chun Wang | Dreamstime.com

A first-of-its-kind law to give people the choice to switch off algorithm recommendations took effect earlier this month in China. With the new regulation, users would be empowered to make decisions online without being swayed by brands and advertisers.

The new set of rules, entitled “Regulations on the Administration of Algorithm Recommendations for Internet Information Services,” comes as Chinese social networks have turned into hotbeds for misinformation and fake news, South China Morning Post reports. The goal is to “regulate algorithm-empowered recommendation activities on the internet” so consumers won’t be unknowingly influenced by AI suggestions, explained the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) when it presented the draft for the legislation last August.

Should tech companies utilize algorithms, they should be enforced for user wellbeing, details CambrianAI analyst Alberto Romero in an article published on OneZero. The direct translation for one of the clauses stresses that recommendation algorithms are to “actively disseminate positive energy, and promote the application of algorithms to be good.”

Businesses are also prohibited from using algorithms to generate or spread misinformation and disinformation. In addition, the rules discourage the creation of fake accounts or automation of fake comments or reactions, preventing bots from artificially augmenting traffic or writing fake reviews.

Under this legislation, users should be provided with the option to turn off content recommendations and the ability to select or remove tags, Romero elaborates. Companies that engage algorithmic recommendation services are to also be transparent about using them and inform users of the “mechanisms” of these tools, such as disclosing why a certain article is being displayed to them.

Other governmental departments involved in the making of the scheme are the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, and State Administration for Market Regulation. The regulation is applicable for most service providers who use algorithms, including e-commerce platforms, delivery services, and short-form video apps, SCMP reports.

Zuo Xiaodong, vice president of the China Information Security Research Institute, commented that algorithms “must be regulated” due to how easy it is “to abuse customized recommendations, thereby damaging our personal rights and interests, and even endangering national security in more serious cases.”

[via OneZero and South China Morning Post, cover photo 183429446 © Shao-chun Wang | Dreamstime.com]