#dsa (25 results)

Sexualized images on X: What we are doing to stop them and what we expect from the EU

X’s Grok chatbot is the focus of yet another scandal after generating pictures of real people in bikinis, without their consent, including children. But the problem of AI-generated sexual images without consent on X goes much further than Grok — and X blocked our research to address the problem. The EU Commission needs to step up their game to protect people from this kind of violence.

Are Google AI Overviews killing media pluralism? AlgorithmWatch amongst first organizations to investigate that.

Google could destroy the web traffic which is the life-blood of organisations who produce reliable information. This is thanks to their new AI Overviews – a tool that hides links to real websites, in favour of their own summaries which have (for example) claimed Olaf Scholz is still the German Chancellor. AlgorithmWatch is making one of the very first data access requests under new EU rules to investigate these systemic risks to media freedom.

Press release

Google AI risks to media pluralism investigated by AlgorithmWatch using brand new data access rules

AlgorithmWatch is requesting data from Google regarding the impact of their “AI Overviews” service on traffic to external websites. The NGO is concerned that AI Overviews pose a risk to media pluralism and freedom of information and is one of the first organizations to use new EU rules to gain access to internal data from major online services.

Press release

Reality check and a special present: The Digital Services Act turns three.

Happy Birthday, Digital Services Act! – Time for a Reality Check

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) celebrates its third birthday. This landmark digital regulation is meant to give a better understanding of how online services decide what users see, and more powers to challenge the companies. However, there is still work to do to make the DSA meet the needs of citizens and users.

Open Letter

Over 40 NGOs call for a firm stance against US threats

Over 40 NGOs and individuals from the digital rights field are calling on the European Commission to respond firmly to the recent warning from the US government. The US has threatened sanctions if the EU does not weaken its digital laws in favor of American corporations.

Let’s Stop Nudification Apps Together!

Non-consensual nudity services are a horrifying use of AI. AlgorithmWatch is trying to use the EU’s Digital Services Act to limit the spread of non-consensual nudity services on social media and app stories. But platforms like X are standing in our way. What are our next steps and how you can help

DSA Delegated Act

New Data Access rules are here – but will they work in practice?

The EU Commission has published the delegated act on data access under the Digital Services Act (DSA). How much it will achieve remains to be seen in practice.

“Risks come not just from technology” – Input to the EU on systemic risks and the DSA

AlgorithmWatch has submitted expert input to the EU on systemic risks stemming from online platforms and search engines. We argued risks come not just from technology, but also (1) the attitudes of companies and (2) lack of transparency around enforcement. This input was at the invite of the European Board of Digital Services and the EU Commission, to help prepare their first report on systemic risks under the Digital Services Act. Read our full response here:

A Dual Track Approach to Systemic Risks ensures flexibility and transparency in the Digital Services Act

Statement on Meta’s Announcement to Gut Moderation and Fact-checking

Mark Zuckerberg says that he will roll back “censorship” on Meta platforms, but the changes will lead to the opposite. They may have severe consequences for users in the EU as well. What options do the European Commission and the Member States have to counter these developments?

Zuckerberg Makes Meta Worse to Please Trump

With his decision to gut moderation and fact-checking on Meta’s platforms, Instagram, Facebook and Threads, Mark Zuckerberg shows he cares more about the approval of Donald Trump than how his platforms can harm society.

Digital Services Act

AlgorithmWatch’s input on New EU Data Access Rules

AlgorithmWatch has responded to the European Commission’s consultation around achieving greater access to data from Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines, via Article 40(4) of the Digital Services Act.

Researching Systemic Risks under the Digital Services Act

AlgorithmWatch has been investigating the concept of "systemic risks" under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the new EU regulation which aims to minimize risks and increase accountability for online platforms and search engines.

Meta’s elections dashboard: A very disappointing sign

On 3 June, Meta released an EU election monitoring dashboard, responding to investigations by the EU Commission under the Digital Services Act. It is riddled with basic errors, raising severe concerns about Meta’s engagement with risks of electoral interference.

Recommendations for the EU Elections 2024

Tech governance has become a key focus for the European Union. New laws have been introduced to reshape how technology and the internet are regulated. Success in EU tech governance hinges on effectively implementing and evolving these new laws to bridge gaps and adapt to technological advances.

AlgorithmWatch proposals on mitigating election risks for online platforms

Despite hopes that the Digital Services Act could protect against online risks during upcoming elections, this looks increasingly unlikely due to delays and issues in implementation. The EU Commission has sought input on how to mitigate election risks, and AlgorithmWatch has responded.

Press release

AlgorithmWatch and AI Forensics among the first organizations to request platform data under the DSA

Berlin, 15 February 2024. The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is designed to give citizens new powers to protect their rights online. Today, many of its most impactful provisions are supposed to come into force: notably the creation of a Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) in every EU Member State and new opportunities for researchers to access platform data.

DSA Day and platform risks

Got Complaints? Want Data? Digital Service Coordinators will have your back – or will they?

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is the EU’s new regulation against risks from online platforms and search engines. It has been in effect since 2023, but 17 February 2024 marks “DSA Day,” on which many of the regulation’s most impactful provisions come into force.

Ensuring Legitimacy in Stakeholder Engagement: The ‘5 Es’ Framework

The DSA foresees that external stakeholders – such as independent experts, civil society groups, and industry representatives – engage in its rollout and enforcement. To help ensure these processes' legitimacy, we have developed the “5 E’s Framework” encompassing the guiding principles: Equity, Expertise, Effectiveness, Empowering, and Expanding Competencies.

The year we waited for action: 2023 in review

Exactly one year ago, I wrote that automated systems might be regulated for good in 2023. This was too optimistic. Not only did European institutions fail to pass the AI Act, even in its watered-down version; the rise of generative models brought us to a new level of danger.

Platform regulation

Not a solution: Meta’s new AI system to contain discriminatory ads

Meta has deployed a new AI system on Facebook and Instagram to fix its algorithmic bias problem for housing ads in the US. But it’s probably more band-aid than AI fairness solution. Gaps in Meta’s compliance report make it difficult to verify if the system is working as intended, which may preview what’s to come from Big Tech compliance reporting in the EU.

Op-Ed on questionable Meta study

Social media algorithms are harmless, or are they?

New research published in Science and Nature suggest that Facebook and Instagram are not causing political polarization. But there are limitations in the research design that need to be discussed.

Making sense of the Digital Services Act

How to define platforms’ systemic risks to democracy

It remains unclear how the largest platforms and search engines should go about identifying “systemic risks” to comply with the DSA. AlgorithmWatch outlines a methodology that will serve as a benchmark for how we, as a civil society watchdog, will judge the risk assessments that are currently being conducted.

Joint statement

A diverse auditing ecosystem is needed to uncover algorithmic risks

The Digital Services Act (DSA) will force the largest platforms and search engines to pay for independent audits to help check their compliance with the law. But who will audit the auditors? Read AlgorithmWatch and AI Forensics' joint feedback to the European Commission on strengthening the DSA’s independent auditing rules via a Delegated Act.