China demands internet companies create governance system for algorithms
- Reference: 1632981606
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/09/30/china_to_regulate_algorithms/
- Source link:
A set of [1]guiding opinions on algorithms, issued overnight by nine government agencies, explains that algorithms play a big role in disseminating information online and enabling growth of the digital economy. But the guiding opinions also point out that algorithms employed online can also impact society, and financial markets.
China therefore wants to regulate them to make sure it sees only upside.
[2]
Machine translations of the opinions reveal Chinese authorities want tech companies to ensure their algorithms are fair, transparent, and protect citizens' rights.
[3]
[4]
Algorithms are also expected to be politically correct, by promoting proper socialist values, elevating "correct" political directions, and preventing the propagation of content deemed dubious. Code that creates anti-competitive outcomes is not welcome.
To achieve its aims, Beijing expects that algo-wielding organisations will create algorithm governance teams to assess their code and detect any security or ethical flaws. Self-regulation is expected, as is continuous revision and self-improvement.
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Chinese authorities will watch those efforts and will be unsparing when they find either harmful algorithms, or less-than-comprehensive compliance efforts. Citizen reports of erroneous algos will inform some regulatory actions.
Organisations have been given three years to get this done, with further guidance to come from Beijing.
[6]Busy day in China: Xi Jinping announces tech-sharing, services export push and a bourse for startups
[7]India, Japan flex cyber-defence muscles as China kicks the Quad
[8]For the nth time, China bans cryptocurrencies
China does not permit fully open markets and its government is utterly unafraid to direct private corporations to adopt practices it feels are in the nation's interest – even if they may damage their businesses.
Requiring oversight of algorithms suggests that Beijing is worried on two fronts. First, it's concerned about how automation is already playing out on China's internet. Second, it has observed that western web giants have used algorithms to increase user engagement in ways that amplify misinformation and that have clearly caused considerable real-world harm.
The new regulations are further evidence that Beijing wants to exercise control over what Chinese citizens can see online. That desire has already seen China crack down on depictions of effeminate men, warn [9]fan clubs not to turn mean , ban [10]racy online content aimed at kids , and crack down on [11]computer games – including those that [12]aren't historically accurate – and even [13]advise on what songs make for acceptable karaoke . ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] http://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-09/29/c_1634507915623047.htm
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YVWK6BLWWrKlO1I3RtXGgAAAAQk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YVWK6BLWWrKlO1I3RtXGgAAAAQk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YVWK6BLWWrKlO1I3RtXGgAAAAQk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YVWK6BLWWrKlO1I3RtXGgAAAAQk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/china_digital_services_export_push/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/28/india_japan_flex_cyberdefence_muscles/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/24/china_cryptocurrency_ban/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/16/china_cyberbullying_fan_quan_crackdown/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/china_internet_cleanup_for_minors/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/31/china_limits_kids_gaming_time/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/16/china_warns_on_historical_fiction_games/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/12/china_karaoke_and_drinking_crackdowns/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
And then you see 'elevating correct political decisions' and 'anticompetitive <...> unwelcome' in the same sentence. Bit of a contradiction there?
It may not be a contradiction if it means the CCP wish to prevent the creation of companies with a monopoly, or at least stranglehold, in particular markets such as online shopping etc. There is only one monopoly which they find acceptable, which is their own on the levers of power.
Excellent, but I hope others listen
This is fundamentally an essential if we're going to rely on AI and ML for decision making that affects lives, livelihoods or business missions.
It's a pity in a way that it comes out of China, as that may well cause the narrow minded, or worse those with vested interests in lack of transparency, in the 'west' to disregard it on political grounds.
Compare this with the current UK DCMS proposal to repeal Article 22 of the GDPR, which, although it might be less ambiguously expressed, in principle provides for challenge and human review of automated decisions: " The data subject shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her or similarly significantly affects him or her. "
CCP repression and control by any other name is still CCP repression and control
Given its vast troll army, relentless censorship, rewriting/expunging of history, misinformation campaigns, and the physical reality of the brutal repression/elimination of Uyghurs, it's hard to see why anyone would suspect the CCP of being up to no good with this.
Re: CCP repression and control by any other name is still CCP repression and control
*Given its vast troll army, relentless censorship, rewriting/expunging of history, misinformation campaigns,..."
For a minute, I thought you were talking about the US.
In many ways this sounds like a very good policy.
That is until you get to the elevating "correct" political directions aspect where you start to see the bad side of CCP in all of its glory.