The Paper's reporter Nan Boyi intern Yang Jiayin
The New Zealand government introduced a charter on the 28th that regulates how government agencies use algorithms. Officials say New Zealand is the first country in the world to introduce such a rule.
According to the British "Guardian" (The Guardian) reported on the 27th, New Zealand is scheduled to launch a charter on July 28 that stipulates how government agencies use algorithms, and the original signatories of this charter are 19 government agencies. In accordance with the guidelines set out in the charter, departments ensure that the process of algorithm-driven decision-making is open and transparent, including giving interpretations that use "simple English"; unless prohibited by law (such as for reasons of national security), information must be provided about the process of using the algorithm and how data is stored; in addition to identifying and managing algorithms that reflect bias.
James Shaw, New Zealand's statistics minister and co-leader of one of the ruling Greens, said he saw New Zealand's charter as the world's first standard for how governments use algorithms.
James Shaw noted that when New Zealand examined the use of public sector algorithms in 2019, it found that there were "huge differences in the degree of use and use of algorithms". He believes that the development of these guidelines is "an important link in building public trust in government agencies".
The Guardian reports that in recent years, governments around the world have increasingly begun to use algorithms to work, but the application of algorithms in administration has also sparked some controversy, especially when algorithms are used by public agencies such as law enforcement, immigration, welfare and health for decisions involving citizens. Critics say algorithm-driven decisions can be inaccurate, discriminatory and often confidential to the public.
"People are now becoming more aware of how (social media) Facebook works and to what extent our lives are shaped by the use and manipulation of data." James Shaw said.
Colin Gavaghan, a law professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand, was involved in the 2019 algorithm inspection, which recommended the creation of an independent regulatory body to monitor the government's use of algorithms. Gavahan said the new charter has many notable points.
Editor-in-Charge: Yan Songyang
Proofreader: Ding Xiao