Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2013 Social media analyst and Drone Emprit developer\nIsmail Fahmi says transparency over social media platforms\u2019 algorithms\nis urgently needed to prevent suspected restrictions on the reach of\ncontent, or the shadowbanning of public discussion, which are difficult\nto verify independently.<\/p>\n
Speaking to ANTARA in Jakarta on Thursday, Ismail cited accusations\nof shadowbanning against Meta that drew attention during Brazil\u2019s\nelection. He said such claims were difficult for outsiders to prove or\ndisprove, because users can see a drop in reach but cannot determine its\ncause.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen there is no official explanation, the public fills the gap with\nits own suspicions,\u201d Ismail said.<\/p>\n
He linked the issue to discussion of forest and land fires in\nIndonesia. Suspected limits on content reach have prompted accusations\nagainst the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi),\nalthough the ministry says it has never requested that content be\nblocked.<\/p>\n
Ismail said uncertainty over how content is distributed could further\nerode public trust in the government. He also highlighted Meta AI\u2019s\ntendency to follow the direction of users\u2019 questions, which could make a\nchatbot\u2019s answers appear to validate unproven accusations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeta must therefore explain how its algorithms work, which content\nhas its reach reduced, under what rules, and at whose request,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Transparency, Ismail said, does not mean platforms must disclose\ntheir algorithmic source code, but they should provide data that can be\naudited by independent parties. Such information is needed so the public\ncan assess whether content restrictions result from a platform\u2019s\ninternal policies, government requests or other factors.<\/p>\n
He proposed several measures to strengthen platform accountability,\nincluding regular independent algorithm audits, data access for\naccredited researchers, and transparency reports covering restricted\ncontent and government requests to remove material.<\/p>\n
In the context of elections, Ismail also stressed the importance of\nbias audits that take account of local languages and political contexts,\ntests to ensure political groups are treated fairly, and human review\nand expedited appeals for candidates, media outlets and journalists\nduring campaign periods.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery restriction on reach must be notified, together with the\nreason. Shadowbanning is essentially restriction without notification,\nand that is what must be eliminated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ismail added that every government request to remove content should\nfollow clear legal procedures, such as a court ruling or an official\ndecision by an election organiser, rather than an informal request. All\nsuch requests should also be recorded and publicly reported so they can\nbe scrutinised.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia needs to strengthen its technical capacity to\noversee digital platforms, including through local legal representatives\nand official communication channels with the General Elections\nCommission (KPU) and the General Elections Supervisory Agency\n(Bawaslu).<\/p>\n
However, Ismail cautioned that regulations must be carefully designed\nso they do not become instruments of censorship or give the government\ncontrol over public discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aim is to make platforms accountable, not to give the government\ncontrol over people\u2019s conversations. Indonesia should not wait for a\ncase like Brazil\u2019s to happen in the 2029 election,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/observer-calls-for-social-media-algorithm-transparency-to-prevent-alleged-shadowbanning-1793260508", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }