Thread by @kendraschaefer

Well, here they are. Yesterday, China's cyberspace watchdog, the CAC, finalized China's groundbreaking new rules on recommendation algorithms. They take effect in early March. Thoughts on the final version below. 1/11 cac.gov.cn/2022-01/04/c_1…

If you're new to this conversation, here's what I posted on the draft version a few months ago. 2/11 👇

https://twitter.com/kendraschaefer/status/1431134515242496002

The final version of China's new algorithm rules mostly preserve the rules outlined in the draft, but three new stipulations were added (big thanks to @freefader for doing the heavy lifting on draft and final version comparison). 3/11

Most strikingly, in the final version of China's rules, internet media was banned from using algorithms to "generate synthetic fake news information or disseminate it." 4/11

It's clear to me that Beijing has paid close attention to the impact that fake news has had on US national unity, as is noping right out of that issue before it becomes a bigger problem. 5/11

Another new rule was added on safely recommending content to the elderly, the idea being to ensure algos don't pick up and spread scams and fraudulent posts that could victimize China's rapidly aging population. 6/11

Also, the draft required companies to respond to user requests for info on what data algos gather and what they do. The final version puts that burden on companies, who have to transparently supply it by default. 7/11

The fines for violations have also been raised. The maximum fine in the draft was RMB 30,000 (around USD 5,000). That has tripled to RMB 100,000. 8/11

And here's a geeky but interesting change: The draft included a rule requiring internet companies to let users "select, modify, and delete" keywords used to profile them. In the final version, that was changed to "select and delete" — "modify" was removed. 9/11

That was likely due to technical issues. Many algorithms use pre-set tags (like "conservative" instead of "right-wing"), and allowing users to modify tags could cause coding havoc. Plus, imagine if users mis-spelled tags when changing them. Chaos. 10/11

These rules reflect some of the biggest concerns in Chinese society today — internet content control, aging population, anti-competitive practices — and seek to get out in front of a future where algos are used to corrode social unity or exacerbate market problems. 11/11