Chuck Todd Asks Rep. Cicilline How Congress Can ‘Make’ Facebook Hand Over Proprietary Algorithm

Chuck Todd asked Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) how Congress can “make” Facebook surrender proprietary algorithms to the government.

“Let me ask you this, if Boeing comes up with a new way of using an automatic pilot mode in their airplane and they believe it’s a proprietary invention, they still have to disclose everything this invention does and how it works to the FAA to get that approval,” said Todd during a segment on MTP Daily on MSNBC. “It seems as if we don’t — if — if Facebook comes up with a proprietary algorithm that enhances their business capabilities they don’t seem to think they have to share that. How do you make them share that?”

“Well, I mean, there’s a number of ways,” replied Cicilline. “You can require algorithmic audits to be sure they’re doing what they claim they do, you can require greater transparency for algorithms, you can, you know permit an agency responsible for looking at their practices, either its impact on competition or on fairness to the consumers are two obvious places. But that’s only part of the solution.”

“They want to protect this ecosystem that has generated profits never seen in the history of the world,” said Cicilline. “We have got to get a control of this.”

The segment occurred hours after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified in front of a Senate subcommittee about what she described as Facebook’s detrimental effect on society despite the social network knowing about the problems she has revealed and that has been reported in publications, first by The Wall Street Journal.

Watch above, via MSNBC.