Cassells: Time to tackle Big Tech's toxic algorithms

Supplementary Online Safety Code for recommender systems needed

Fianna Fáil Senator Shane Cassells has said recommender system algorithms that promote self-harm, suicide and violent extremism on social media must be turned off by default.

Recommender systems are algorithms that determine what social media users see based on extensive collection of personal data.

Cassells said that social media companies should not be able to collect specific data about users' sexual desires, political and religious views, health conditions and or ethnicity and then use that data to pick what videos are shown to people.

He said: "This is about protecting children.

"I constantly meet and hear from parents who are worried about what has become the new public health crisis of our time - the impact on children of social media and being constantly online.

"Toxic algorithms target children with content glorifying self-harm, or suicide, or eating disorders, or violence against women. This is not okay.

"Young people must be helped to grow up safely in a constantly changing online world."

Cassells said Coimisiún na Meán should adopt a Supplementary Online Safety Code that specifically tackles recommender systems.

He said: "Coimisiún na Meán should use every lever at its disposal to hold these platforms accountable by adopting a Supplementary Online Safety Code specifically for recommender systems before the finalisation of the Online Safety Code.

"An Coimisiún believes that such a supplementary Online Safety Code is not needed as recommender systems are regulated at the European level.

"While supporting enforcement at an EU-level is important, many of the video-sharing platforms that use these toxic algorithms are headquartered here in Ireland.

"EU-level enforcement in member states can also be time consuming, which is at odds with the urgent nature of the crisis we now face with harmful content online.

"Because of the danger posed by toxic algorithms to young people and the fact that so many of these video-sharing platforms are headquartered here in Ireland, by adopting a Supplementary Online Safety Code we would be taking the lead as a country and ensuring that no lever is not used in our efforts to hold Big Tech to account for harmful content."

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