RSF salue la demande de transparence de la Commission européenne sur les algorithmes des grandes plateformes

The European Commission has finally asked YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok for information on the operation of their algorithms. These requests, authorised under the Digital Services Act (DSA), are part of 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 "pluralism of media" 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 unregulated algorithms concern society as a whole, and the demand for transparency must be taken into account by all parties.

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 very 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 very 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 set an example in 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. By implementing the JTI, social media platforms will be able to identify reliable journalistic sources and update their algorithms to amplify them.