With Musk Takeover Of Twitter Pending, Senator Focuses on 'Algorithmic Justice'
Massachusetts Democrat is calling for new legislation
Billionaire industrialist Elon Musk's forthcoming $44 billion purchase of Twitter is raising eyebrows, including on Capitol Hill, where one senator is looking for something he calls “algorithmic justice.”
Musk, the richest man in the world and CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla, this week set a surprise deal to acquire the entire Twitter corporation and convert it to a privately held company.
Twitter said the deal is expected to close sometime this year and is subject to the approval of Twitter stockholders and regulators.
The arrangement only heightens scrutiny of the growing consolidation of media sources in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy individuals.
Sen Ed Markey (D-Mass), member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, as well as the committee's consumer protection, product safety, and data security subcommittee, particularly believes that the Musk/Twitter deal highlights a need for additional regulations.
“Elon Musk and a handful of billionaires now have dangerous influence over the most powerful online platforms. They can't be trusted, and self-regulation has failed. We must pass laws to protect privacy and promote algorithmic justice for internet users, especially for kids,” Markey tweeted, adding, “If you're just tuning in, algorithmic justice is not new. It's an issue I've worked on for years to address the systemic biases which harm marginalized communities and are disastrous when taken online and baked into Big Tech’s algorithms.”
Social media is about data and algorithms, according to Markey.
“Social media algorithms leverage the data they collect about us to determine what posts users see. Algorithms are the tools Big Tech uses to keep us glued to their apps and coming back for more, so they can rake in profit,” he posted. “These algorithms are responsible for glaring discrimination and bias. Evidence shows that Facebook has limited people of different races and religions from seeing housing ads and Google has excluded transgender or non-binary people from job search results. The list goes on.”
Americans — and lawmakers — should not take at face value empty promises made by billionaire CEOs promising to do better, the senator maintained.
“Billionaire tech CEOs’ promises to enhance privacy, improve algorithms, and protect kids are useless. The only way to imbue our values into today’s technologies is to end the era of failed self-regulation and enact laws,” Markey wrote. “Congress must pass my Algorithmic Justice and Online Platform Transparency Act to end the online harm inflicted against marginalized communities and put inclusion, equity, and non-discrimination at the forefront of tech policy.”
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