China sets deadline for Big Tech to clear algorithm issues, close ‘echo chambers’

System providers should avoid recommendation algorithms that create “echo chambers” and induce addiction, allow manipulation of trending items, or exploit gig workers’ rights, the notice said.

They should also crack down on unfair pricing and discounts targeting different demographics, ensure “healthy content” for elderly and children, and impose a robust “algorithm review mechanism and data security management system”.

Skeptical but damn these sentences contain all the right words.

That's rich.

I would be interested to see how they improve gig workers being exploited by algorithms, or if that is even going to happen.

This is their government acting purely out of self-preservation. These algorithms are extremely vulnerable to state actors sowing discord within a country. China, Russia, Iran, US, Israel, etc. all conduct psyops. Shutting this tech down is a major first step in protecting your country from internal and external cyber psyops. China has been dealing with a ton of domestic problems for the last couple of years, and it's only been getting worse. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/22/china-deals-with-violence-amid-revenge-against-society-attacks

Quasi-enemies like the US can exploit social unrest and stoke the fires, making problems exponentially worse. Other countries do the same thing to the US, which is why it's blown my mind why the intelligence agencies here or even in Europe haven't pushed for similar legislation.

Anyway, regardless of the reasoning behind it, it'd be nice to see these predatory algorithms banned everywhere. I just felt the need to point out that this is very unlikely to be motivated out of some progressive idealism by the Chinese government.

So we closing down Twatter and Reddit?