Facebook’s algorithms increasingly in sights of US lawmakers

After wrestling with how to write laws to allow or prohibit certain kinds of speech, which risks running afoul of the First Amendment, regulating automated algorithms is emerging as a possible strategy. — AFP

US lawmakers investigating how Facebook Inc and other online platforms shape users’ world views are considering new rules for the artificial intelligence programs blamed for spreading malicious content.

This legislative push is taking on more urgency since a whistleblower revealed thousands of pages of internal documents revealing how Facebook employees knew that the company’s algorithms prioritising growth and engagement were driving people to more divisive and harmful content.