Bill by Democrat Michael Bennett seeks to regulate algorithms in the tech sector and create a code of conduct
Senator Michael Bennett (Democrat-Colorado) on Thursday (May 12, 2022) introduced a bill to create a United States government regulatory agency focused on large technology companies. The text was obtained exclusively by a North American newspaper Washington Post,
The “Digital Platforms Commission Act, (The Law of the Digital Platform Commission, in literal translation) suggests an executive body with powers to interrogate up to 5 people. big technology On the functioning of algorithms on platforms and regulating companies’ internal policies – such as content moderation criterion and transparency in access to users’ personal data.
Among the objects of the proposal is the publication of a code of conduct in this area. The document will be prepared in consultation with experts in programming, ethics and other related fields to establish a specific study on the working of each company.
Laws are nothing new in American politics. In September 2021, Congressional Democrats suggested that FTC ,federal trade commission, the country’s antitrust agency) to create a field specializing in monitoring privacy violations of companies in the region. Bennett’s bill, however, expands the scope of federal intervention and includes topics such as the impact of social media on users’ mental health and local news.
According to Bennett, the country needs an agency in which “Specialization“getting”creative approach“In control of these companies. He says he was inspired by his experience during his work on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the unspecified effects of social media on his children.
Critics of the proposal claim that, in addition to having a budget less than the financial reach of the technology giant – the agency’s 5th year of operation will have a budget cap of US$500 million – it will also increase the government’s permeability to the effect. lobby appointed by the sector.
While scams related to data theft and improper access to information are matters of bipartisan interest, Washington Post It highlighted that the issue could be politicized in the House of Representatives and Senate and could lose the support needed to move forward.
This is a new chapter in the dispute between big technology and the United States Government. companies like Google and Apple Challenges in the US states are targets for elites in the advertising system.
In December 2021, Adam Mosseri, executive director of Instagram, suggested Creation of a government oversight body Responsible for managing parental control mechanisms, age verification and personalization of content by age group in US Senate testimony.
