People who often shop online may find that after multiple purchases on a platform, they find that the registration of a new number is more favorable; the coupons released by some platforms are only available to new users; buy tickets on the ticketing app, but find that the membership price is higher than the non-member price... In reality, the common sense of "old patrons are more preferential" has actually failed on the Internet.
On January 4, according to the official micro-news of the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Cyberspace Administration of China and four other departments recently issued the Provisions on the Recommendation and Administration of Internet Information Service Algorithms (hereinafter referred to as the "Provisions"), which will be implemented from March 1, 2022. It states,
Users should be provided with a convenient option to turn off algorithmic referral services;
Algorithm recommendation services must not be used to induce minors to indulge in the Internet;
The safe use of algorithmic recommendation services by the elderly should be facilitated;
Algorithms must not be used to implement differential treatment on transaction prices based on consumer preferences, trading habits, and other characteristics.
Prohibition of "big data killing"
In recent years, while the application of algorithms has injected new momentum into economic and social development, the problems caused by irrational applications of algorithms such as algorithm discrimination, "big data killing", and inducing addiction have also profoundly affected the normal communication order, market order and social order, and brought challenges to maintaining ideological security, social fairness and justice, and the legitimate rights and interests of netizens.
The Provisions clarify the requirements for the protection of the rights and interests of users of algorithm recommendation service providers:
The first is the right to know about the algorithm, which requires the user to be informed of the situation of providing algorithm recommendation services, and publicize the basic principles, purpose intentions and main operating mechanisms of the service.
Among them, algorithm recommendation service providers are encouraged to comprehensively use strategies such as content deduplication and fragmentation intervention, and optimize the transparency and interpretability of rules such as retrieval, sorting, selection, push, and display, so as to avoid adverse impacts on users and prevent and reduce disputes and disputes.
Algorithm recommendation service providers must not use algorithms to unreasonably restrict other Internet information service providers, or obstruct or disrupt the normal operation of Internet information services they lawfully provide, and carry out monopoly or unfair competition conduct.
The second is the right to choose the algorithm, which requires users to be provided with options that do not target their personal characteristics, or the option to conveniently turn off the algorithm recommendation service. Where a user chooses to turn off algorithm recommendation services, the algorithm recommendation service provider shall immediately stop providing the relevant services. Algorithm recommendation service providers shall provide users with the ability to select or delete user tags for their personal characteristics used in algorithmic recommendation services.
For example, algorithm recommendation service providers should strengthen the ecological management of the pages of algorithm recommendation service layouts, establish and improve manual intervention and user independent selection mechanisms, and actively present information that conforms to mainstream value orientation in key links such as the first screen of the home page, hot search, selection, list category, and pop-up window. Algorithm recommendation service providers must not use algorithms to falsely register accounts, illegally trade accounts, manipulate user accounts, or falsely like, comment, or forward, and must not use algorithms to block information, over-recommend, manipulate lists, or sort search results, control hot searches or selections, and other such interference in the presentation of information, and carry out conduct that affects online public opinion or circumvents supervision and management.
The third is to make specific regulations for algorithm recommendation service providers that provide services to minors, the elderly, workers, consumers and other entities. For example, algorithmic recommendation services must not be used to induce minors to indulge in the Internet, it shall be convenient for the elderly to safely use algorithmic recommendation services, and relevant algorithms such as platform order distribution, remuneration composition, payment, working hours, rewards and punishments shall be established and improved, and algorithms must not be used to implement unreasonable differential treatment on transaction conditions such as transaction prices based on consumer preferences, trading habits, and other characteristics.
Algorithms must not be used to influence network public opinion
The Provisions also make specific requirements for the dissemination of information by algorithm recommendation service providers.
"Application algorithm recommendation technology" refers to the use of algorithmic techniques such as generative synthesis classes, personalized push classes, sorting selection classes, retrieval filtering classes, and scheduling decision classes to provide information to users.
The Provisions clarify the information service specifications for algorithm recommendation service providers, requiring that algorithm recommendation service providers should adhere to the mainstream value orientation, actively disseminate positive energy, must not use algorithm recommendation services to engage in illegal activities or disseminate illegal information, and shall take measures to prevent and resist the dissemination of negative information;
Establish and complete management systems and technical measures such as user registration, information release review, data security and personal information protection, and emergency handling of security incidents, and periodically review, evaluate, and verify algorithm mechanism mechanisms, models, data, and application results;
Establish and complete feature libraries for identifying illegal and negative information, and where illegal and negative information is discovered, corresponding disposition measures shall be employed; strengthen the management of user models and user tags, and improve the rules for points of interest and user tag management that are recorded in user models;
Strengthen the ecological management of the page of the algorithm recommendation service, establish and improve the mechanism of manual intervention and user independent selection, and actively present information in line with the mainstream value orientation in key links;
Standardize the development of Internet news information services, and must not generate synthetic false news information or disseminate news information published by units that are not within the scope of state provisions;
Algorithms must not be used to influence online public opinion, circumvent supervision and management, and conduct monopoly or unfair competition.
The relevant person in charge of the State Internet Information Office pointed out that the governance of algorithm recommendation services requires the joint participation of the government, enterprises, society, netizens and other parties, promote the fairness, fairness, standardization and transparency of algorithm recommendation services, promote algorithm recommendation services to be upward and good, and create a clearer cyberspace.
Editor| Lu Xiangyong and Du Hengfeng
Proofreader | Sun Zhicheng
Daily Economic News is synthesized from the official WeChat of the Cyberspace Administration of China
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