# Filter Bubble Transparency Act

This bill requires major social media and online platforms to be transparent about how they decide what content to show you. Right now, when you scroll through Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or similar sites, algorithms decide what posts, videos, and ads appear in your feed based on what the company thinks will keep you engaged. The problem is that these decisions happen behind the scenes, and you don't really know why you're seeing certain content or being kept away from other content. This bill would force these companies to explain their filtering and ranking systems to users in plain language.

Specifically, the bill requires platforms to disclose how their algorithms work, what factors they consider when deciding what to show you, and how you can adjust your preferences if you want to see different types of content. For example, if you're only seeing news from one political perspective or only content that confirms what you already believe, you'd be able to understand why that's happening and potentially change it. Companies would also have to let users opt out of algorithmic filtering entirely if they choose, meaning they could see content in chronological order instead of having it filtered and ranked by the platform.

The main people affected are everyday internet users who spend time on social media platforms. This could help you make more informed choices about what information you're consuming and reduce the "filter bubble" effect where algorithms can isolate you in an echo chamber of similar viewpoints. For the platforms themselves, this means they'd need to invest in making their systems more transparent and giving users more control, which could change how their services operate. The bill essentially aims to pull back the curtain on how these powerful algorithms shape what billions of people see online every day.

Filter Bubble Transparency Act

Thune, John

Filter Bubble Transparency Act This bill establishes requirements for large online platforms that use algorithms applying artificial intelligence or machine learning to user-specific data to determine the manner in which content is displayed to users. Specifically, if an online platform applies such techniques to user-specific data that is not expressly provided by the user, the platform must (1) notify users that the platform uses such data, and (2) make a version of the platform available that uses only user-specific data that has been expressly provided by the user and which enables users to switch between the two platforms. These requirements do not apply to search engines operated by downstream providers with fewer than 1,000 employees and that have an agreement to access an index of web pages from an upstream provider. However, the bill requires such upstream providers to make their algorithm available to downstream providers as part of such an agreement.