You Are Being Lied to About Algorithms
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I just released the latest episode of my Section 230 mini-series, where I sat down with Eric Goldman, associate dean for research and a professor at Santa Clara Law, one of the nation's foremost experts on internet law, to debunk the biggest myths surrounding Section 230 and algorithmic amplification.
One big thing I’ve heard since starting this series is, “platforms should lose their Section 230 protections because they use algorithms.” This is very silly, and Mike Masnick, (as usual!!) has debunked this well. But I wanted to help people understand why this line of thinking is so flawed.
Most people don't even understand what an algorithm even is. Eric discusses how even the beloved "reverse chronological order" feed is an algorithm, and how it actually rewards spammers, trolls, and bad actors.
We dive deep into how politicians are using the techlash to amass more power, how censorship has become a bipartisan value, and how companies like Meta actually want Section 230 amended so they can wipe out their smaller competitors.
From the dangers of age verification laws to the truth about how algorithms protect us from a dystopian, miserable internet full of spam and scams, Eric and I discuss the real existential threats to the open web, and how arguments about "algorithms" miss the real powers at play. [WATCH]