Curious about this "algorithmic choice" thing @jack just brought up in the hearing? It& #39;s a really important idea. It needs a lot of tire-kicking, but we should be doing that.

Here is the Stephen Wolfram testimony he mentioned: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/06/testifying-at-the-senate-about-a-i-selected-content-on-the-internet/">https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/06/t...

Here is @mmasnick& #39;s highly relevant work on the "protocols not platforms" concept. 2/ https://knightcolumbia.org/content/protocols-not-platforms-a-technological-approach-to-free-speech">https://knightcolumbia.org/content/p...

Algorithmic choice and competition (and user choice of platform content rules) could be achieved from above via something like telecom unbundling. But it could also be achieved from below via what @doctorow calls "adversarial interoperability" /3 https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/adversarial-interoperability-reviving-elegant-weapon-more-civilized-age-slay">https://www.eff.org/deeplinks...

I& #39;ve written about this idea under the moniker of "Magic APIs." I am very focused on the barriers – how will privacy work, how will ads work, etc. I raise these not as a naysayer, but as someone identifying where the work needs to be done. 4/ https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200901/13524045226/if-lawmakers-dont-like-platforms-speech-rules-heres-what-they-can-do-about-it-spoiler-options-arent-great.shtml">https://www.techdirt.com/articles/...

The privacy and data protection issues that need to be resolved for algorithmic choice are closely related to the ones we must address for data portability, interoperability, competition generally, and research transparency. They are big and complex and hell of important. 5/

We need privacy experts, competition experts, and content moderation experts in the same room to sort this out. Being siloed is hurting our ability to move forward.
(If not a room then perhaps a virtual room, or an airy outdoor space with good acoustics.) 6/6