Facebook agrees to allow regulators access to algorithms
Facebook is ready for stricter controls to ensure its algorithms work as intended and do no harm to users. Nick Clegg, the company's vice president of global communications, told CNN.
Algorithms need to be made accountable, if legislation requires it, so that users can match what our systems are supposed to do with what actually happens, he said.
He also said Facebook was open to amending the 1996 US law exempting companies from liability for users' postings. The corporation welcomes such restrictive measures "as long as they apply their systems and policies the way they should".
Clegg also outlined planned innovations on the Instagram platform that should protect teenagers' wellbeing. These include algorithmic substitution of harmful content with neutral content, parental controls and break reminders.
Earlier, a former Facebook product manager told the US Senate that the social network was using algorithms to incite hate for profit. The company has denied the allegations.
The whistleblower will meet with the House committee investigating the January 6 riots at the US Capitol and will also address the UK parliament.
Clegg once again called Facebook's whistleblower's accusations that the company was putting profits ahead of user safety unfounded.
Recall that on the evening of October 4, users from around the world reported outages on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The services restored operation six hours later.
The Facebook team said that the cause was a change in the configuration of backbone routers and that users' data was not affected.