Social Media Users Now Free to Leave Algorithms Thanks to New EU Law

Fei Ruby, Tech Times 25 August 2023, 01:08 pm

By enabling users to reclaim their digital experience and resist the attention-getting strategies of artificial intelligence (AI), the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) has transformed social media. This regulation has changed how individuals engage with technology and given them a renewed sense of agency in their online connections.

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In this photo illustration, the logos of social media applications Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Messenger, Hyperlapse, and Telegram are displayed on a cellphone screen on April 26, 2023, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The DSA's Benefits

Platforms like Meta's Facebook, Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok, and Snap's Snapchat are now able to move away from their "personalized" content feeds, which frequently result from intrusive tracking, according to the Digital Service Act (DSA).

Now that users have the option, the online user experience is beginning to change to a simplified, chronological news feed with updates from friends.

Beyond the EU, major international IT companies are embracing these concepts, simplifying their compliance practices, and embracing the change in online user experience.

Inspiration From Apps

Before the DSA's deadline, Facebook created a chronological Feeds tab, although the EU's rule served as the impetus for the change.

The rule makes a distinction between non-personalized content selections and AI-driven content recommendations, safeguarding user agency from intrusive AI monitoring. The chronological stream may have been subjected to manipulations by AI, but the EU's legal framework mandates a rigorous separation.

Relevance of the Act

By monitoring user activity such as clicks, engagement, and searches, platforms have the ability to alter user engagement. This may result in offensive material recommendations, as seen by Instagram's never-ending supply of cat videos.

In order to provide a solution, the Digital Advertising Standards Authority (DAS) has included the alternatives to view material exclusively from the following accounts and the "Not personalized" selection. Even if it is still algorithmic, this feature is a step in the right direction for taking back control over content consumption.

YouTube's decision to spare logged-in users from profiling-based video recommendations is another ripple effect from the DSA, highlighting the legislation's role as an agent of global change. This action emphasizes how crucial it is to provide people with the ability to manage their content consumption.

The Digital Markets Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMSA) demand responsibility for AI usage and encourage open data exchange, which empowers consumers. This change strives to achieve a harmonic balance between platforms and users and is in line with the public interest.

Beyond tailored content and chronological feeds, the DSA has ramifications that give consumers more control over how they consume material.

The DSA's involvement restores control over material consumption by introducing alternatives to consume content just from following accounts and a "Not personalized" choice. Another example of the law's worldwide reach is YouTube's decision to exclude logged-in users from profiling-based video suggestions.