4 September 2023 -- ICCL has sent Ireland's newly established Media Commission a submission (Link) on the hazards of the algorithms that select what people see on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.

ICCL urges the Media Commission to mandate that these toxic algorithms are never activated unless a person decides to switch them on. People must be able to use a Big Tech platform without being exposed to toxic algorithms that  put hateful and divisive material into their video and social feeds. Meta’s own research shows that hate groups grow because its toxic recommender systems promote them.

Acting against Big Tech’s toxic algorithms, rather than attempting to identify and unpublish certain content, avoids intrusion upon the right to freedom of expression. It is also more likely to achieve the Media Commission’s aims.

The Media Commission has acted rapidly following its establishment earlier this year to create a binding “safety code” to protect people from the hazards of Big Tech’s video services. This is welcome and ICCL's submission is a response to the Media Commission’s public call for input on that code.

Submission: https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ICCL-submission-on-Video-Code-of-Conduct-September-2023.pdf