how Russia and China are going to regulate recommender systems
Moscow. February 21st. INTERFAX.RU – China continues to introduce legislation restricting IT companies. Following a law that came into force limiting the collection of media by online platforms, Beijing adopted a document on the regulation of recommender algorithms. It is valid in a week – from March 1.
In Russia, a similar initiative was announced in December by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Security, Information Technology and Anton Gorelkin. He collected what is being prepared for development, and his introduction to the House of Parliament is planned in the first half of this year.
Experts, in turn, doubt the implementation of initiatives in Russia, pointing to the lack of food regulator tools.
How are recommender algorithms formed?
Algorithms compose product recommendations in e-commerce applications and offers in social media feeds.
Such detection systems by collecting big data about each user, as well as their identification analysis, the capacity of information and analytical company for the prevention and investigation of crimes “Internet Investigation” Igor Bederov. Modern electronic devices, online services and applications collect a huge amount of data from their users: name, gender, age, job, income level, content of correspondence, search queries (including speech information from voice assistants), social circle, surface movements. All this information is processed by the neural network in order to offer the advertiser the most effective advertising.
China regulates
Experts largely detect the emergence of such problems in people: Vadim Vadim, staunch director of ANO Competence Center for Global IT Cooperation Glushchenko.
“The desire for a broad application of the legal framework for the use of recommendation services is justified.
According to a new Chinese law, online platforms ban fake messages. In addition, they will be required to inform users about the main repositories of the recommendation services. The document also states that users should be given the ability to control the algorithm, change settings, or choose a preference from receiving offers.
The law prohibits a company from using algorithm recommendations for illegal activities, such as creating a national security outbreak.
individual articles give rise to the regulation of algorithms aimed at a children’s audience. Service providers must comply with the obligation to protect minors online. They are prohibited from recommending to children information that may cause dangerous consequences and harmful effects on their physical and psychological health.
For non-compliance with the rules, fines from 10 to 100 thousand yuan (about $1.6 to $16) are provided. The coming into force rules capture all companies that operate in the territory of China and use recommendation services.
The rule alarmed members of the public: many said the law discourages companies from restructuring businesses. However, according to Glushchenko, we should expect an early adjustment of business models, and not a global restructuring. “Obviously, technology companies have managed to adjust their work and put it into action from the point of view of Chinese business. But I would not expect any major changes in the exclusion of their business,” the expert said.
He is convinced that the entry into force of the law should not be used heavily for technology companies. “Moreover, there is no change in the regulator, which is called “according to the frequency of dropout”.
Experts on Chinese digital law have drawn attention to the complexity that has allowed increasing the deviation from perception. This ability is often carefully hidden in the privacy of applications, and applications simply may not pay attention. They may refuse to use their services.
In turn, Gorelkin believes that the Chinese legislator is moving further in the regulation of advisory services, but the requirements are drawn up by Beijing, which is a redundant deputy.
Russia probably
Russian law sees a potential threat in recommender algorithms. Gorelkin, that such systems deprive social network users of the ability to control the information they consume, resource owners receive a powerful tool for management: it is necessary to form public opinion from hidden advertising.
Now the Russian audit on the regulation of advisory services, according to Gorelkin, is 95% ready and will soon be submitted to the State Duma. The document is aimed primarily at social networks and video hosting sites operating both in the Russian and global markets. However, some parcels, according to the deputy, were also prosecuted and sued for online trading, for example, within the framework of self-regulation. Control over the recommender services of online cinemas is being further developed.
It is assumed that social networks and video hosting are obliged to inform users about the processing of their data by the recommender system and, as a result, about the refusal of such processing. It is also expected that the requirements of those responsible for recommender systems will be established in the near future.
How to slow down Gorelkin, each resource will have to formulate and publish the rules for using their recommender algorithms. “I note: the possibility of their work is not provided (we said that this may be a trade secret), but the rules are with the appointment of a list of user data, his preferences that use the service,” Gorelkin told Interfax.
Also, these rules should clearly spell out the rights and obligations of owners when distributing information using recommender algorithms.
The new report has been supplemented by Roskomnadzor. The agency will set up request platform owners to check interferences in recommender systems and monitor compliance with the rules for the use of algorithms. The users themselves belong to Roskomnadzor for their work.
In addition, much attention in the review is planned to be given to the protection of children. In particular, Gorelkin abandoned the recommended algorithms for a minor exhibition.
The Duma took into account that these requirements form the ethics of recommendation services and ensure the transparency and transparency of the rules for providing material materials in accordance with the structure of algorithms and artificial intelligence technologies.
Start with a Tool
However, the Russian regulator may have problems managing online services. According to Bederov, the RKN does not have effective leverage for these. “They don’t have a tool to monitor or capture traffic from services or websites. There is always the opportunity to log in via VPN, view the archived version, and so on,” Bederov said.
The reason for the obligatory observation of an expert is the lack of a conclusion, the unwillingness to understand the basic principles of the network, to learn from experience with other countries and to investigate the investigation.
“These regulations govern only those who are ready to implement them. The rest, who go into the shadows,” he specified.
The solution to the problem, according to Bederov, can be the creation of a forensic accounting and identification system on the Internet, which will record from websites and providers of electronic digital investigators.