Holding Platforms Accountable: Online Speech in the Age of Algorithms

Internet platforms are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools in order to shape the content we see and engage with online. However, there is often a lack of transparency around how these automated tools are leveraged. This raises questions regarding how algorithmic tools impact user expression, how platforms safeguard user rights, and how these companies can be held accountable for their practices.

This project at New America’s Open Technology Institute seeks to explore how internet platforms use automated tools in four key areas, and how companies, policymakers, civil society, and researchers can promote greater fairness, accountability, and transparency around algorithmic decision-making.

The four practices that this project focuses on are:

1. How Internet Platforms Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Moderate User-Generated Content
2. How Algorithms Rank and Curate Content in Search Results and on News Feeds
3. How Internet Platforms Use Artificial Intelligence to Target and Deliver Ads
4. How Video and E-Commerce Platforms Use Recommendation Systems to Shape User Experiences

The fifth and final report in this series brings together analysis and recommendations to chart a path forward for internet platforms, civil society, researchers, and policymakers. Read Charting a Path Forward: Promoting Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Algorithmic Content Shaping.

We also hosted a pair of events focused on promoting greater fairness, accountability, and transparency around the use of algorithmic decision-making, particularly in digital advertising and ranking and recommendation systems. Our panels featured tech experts from civil society, academia and online platforms.

How Advertising Algorithms Drive the Internet’s Favorite Business Model

How Ranking and Recommendation Algorithms Influence How We See the World