Logo for the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency

🔚 Enhorabuena a @EU_ScienceHub y la @ComisionEuropea por el Centro 🇪🇺 de Transparencia Algorítmica #ECAT. Y gracias por ubicar en 🇪🇸 una sede fundamental en la implantación de la #DigitalServicesAct.

Let’s open the black box 🔓 pic.twitter.com/FGTaMmKTsw

— S.E. Digitalización e Inteligencia Artificial (@SEDIAgob) April 18, 2023

ECAT:

Algorithmic systems determine many aspects of our online experience, for example, a music streaming app may use algorithms to suggest songs or bands to its users. With the ever-increasing societal impact of online platforms such as social networks, online marketplaces, and search engines, there is an urgent need for public oversight of the processes at the core of their business. This includes in particular how these platforms and search engines moderate content and how they curate information for their users.

Mission

The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) will contribute to a safer, more predictable and trusted online environment for people and business.

How algorithmic systems shape the visibility and promotion of content, and its societal and ethical impact, is an area of growing concern. Measures adopted under the Digital Services Act (DSA) call for algorithmic accountability and transparency audits.

The ECAT is part of the European Commission, hosted by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) -the Commission’s in-house science and knowledge service- in close cooperation with the Directorate General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). It contributes scientific and technical expertise to the Commission's exclusive supervisory and enforcement role of the systemic obligations on Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) provided for under the DSA.

Related, in Los Angeles we have USC's "meme team":

@SickosCommittee so I was at a Heisman ceremony for USC, you’ll like how they label their social media office. pic.twitter.com/MXiAWvjZ5V

— a_over.ing (@s__s_e_a) April 21, 2023

*Previously: There is no such thing as an algorithm