Recent searches
Search options
1/5
“Our algorithm will suck you in”, “Scroll more, sleep less”! Since Monday a black LED Truck promoting a new social media platform Vlop! has been cruising around Warsaw, the capital of Poland.
https://panoptykon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/Vlop%21%20campaign%20eng.mp4
In reality Vlop! does not exist. It was made up by @panoptykon.
But real VLOPs do exist and we use their services everyday. The term “Very Large Online Platform” comes from the #DigitalServicesAct (#DSA) and refers to companies such as Instagram, TikTok and X.
2/5
Their algorithms are designed with one goal: to maximize our engagement and time spent on the platform. For some users, especially the young and vulnerable, compulsive scrolling and over-exposure to toxic content exacerbates depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
3/5
From August 25th VLOPs have to comply with #DSA: their algorithms should be redesigned to cause no harm. Meta, TikTok, X and others now have to explain how their recommender systems work and offer alternative feeds that are not based on profiling people.
4/5
It won't be easy to fix recommender systems. Imagine transforming what evolved to be a ""casino"" into a public space, transforming ""users"" into citizens...Where to start? Panoptykon, ICCL and People vs BigTech investigated their most harmful features & call for change.
Fixing Recommender Systems. From identification of risk factors to
meaningful transparency and mitigation:
https://panoptykon.org/fixing-rec-sys-pdf