“Washington (May 27, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06) today introduced the Algorithmic Justice and Online Platform Transparency Act of 2021 to prohibit harmful algorithms, increase transparency into websites’ content amplification and moderation practices, and commission a cross-government investigation into discriminatory algorithmic processes throughout the economy. Algorithms are the automated systems built into the infrastructure of a platform that determine what content users see online. These automated decisions are often informed by a user’s online data or behavior, with or without a user’s knowledge. The legislation includes prohibitions against damaging algorithmic processes on popular websites, which have resulted in discrimination in a variety of contexts, including platforms delivering housing advertisements in ways that result in racial discrimination and excluding users of certain gender identities from viewing job advertisements.”