Seeking Algorithmic Accountability from Facebook: Experts to Government

Privacy experts and civil society are calling on the Indian government to seek more algorithmic accountability from Facebook in light of the recent revelations around how the social media giant's algorithms are designed to fuel hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory posts, particularly anti-Muslim content in India.

They are also seeking the government to urgently set up an independent commission which can deliberate on possible legislation around the structure of social media and its regulation.

Urvashi spoke to the Economic Times about the recent Facebook Files, leaked by Frances Haugen:

“Every time a Facebook scandal breaks, the conversation gets stuck over the need for more government regulation on social media versus the need for free speech over the Internet. Instead, we need to focus on what content is amplified by the platform, and demand greater algorithmic transparency and accountability — algorithms on the platform are optimised to maximise user engagement, not safety, and end up magnifying the worst of humankind,” said Urvashi Aneja, director, Digital Futures Lab.

Read the piece here.