算法推荐下信息公平失衡的法律应对

Judicial Treatment on Information Unfairness Resulting from Algorithmic Recommendation

算法推荐技术在提升互联网信息服务效率的同时,也引发社会公众获取与分配数据信息时的公平失衡,该失衡主要表现为“信息茧房”“算法操纵”及劣质、虚假信息泛滥三种样态。用户的数字人格生成、算法的内容分发和流量分配机制,以及平台对“大众媒体人”监管缺位,共同构成该现象产生的原因。对此问题,法律突破技术回应的局限性,构成当下最有效的规制策略,《互联网信息服务算法推荐管理规定》就是其中的代表性成果。尽管该规定在很大程度上填补了直接法律规范之不足,但从该规定的内容看,也可能会因条文落实困难、制度设计模糊而缺乏可操作性,这也是接下来需要完善的方面。

Algorithmic recommendation,while promoting the efficiency of network information service,brings about the issue of fairness in information acquisition and allocation.The unfairness is mainly embodied in “information cocoons”,algorithmic manipulation,and rampant bad and fake information,which result from such factors as the availability of users digital personality,the logic of algorithms in content distribution and traffic distribution,and the absence of the platform supervision over the “mass media”.Against this issue,legal regulations can break through the limit of technological treatment and constitute the most effective regulatory strategy at present.The Regulations on Algorithmic Recommendation in Internet Information Service represents the achievements in judicial treatment of the unfairness issue.Although the Regulations make up for the absence of direct legal rules,it leaves some room for improvement in its operability due to the difficulties in implementing certain provisions and the unclear institutional design.