EU sets up ECAT to police large tech platforms

'We are prepared to put order into the Wild West of the Internet'

The EU has inaugurated the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT), a specialised research unit aiding in the regulation of major digital platforms.

The ECAT aims to establish a more secure, foreseeable and reliable online environment for both individuals and enterprises, by promoting transparency and accountability.

The ECAT is a division of the European Commission and hosted by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with the Directorate General Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT).

Located in Seville, Spain, the JRC is the in-house scientific and knowledge service centre of the European Commission.

The Commission has established the ECAT under the EU's flagship Digital Services Act (DSA).

The DSA imposes risk management obligations on companies Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) - platforms with more than 45 million users.

Such platforms will be required to identify, investigate and mitigate a broad range of systemic risks. That could include the spread and amplification of illegal content and disinformation, as well as platforms' impact on freedom of expression.

VLOPs and VLOSEs will also be obligated to assess and mitigate specific risks associated with online gender-based violence and protection of minors online.

These new rules are expected to take effect from 1st January 2024.

The ECAT's primary role will be to audit software and ensure major technology companies are adhering to established regulations. It will furnish the Commission with in-house technical proficiency to guarantee that VLOPs' and VLOSEs' algorithmic systems comply with the risk management, mitigation and transparency requirements outlined in the DSA.

An interdisciplinary team of AI experts, data scientists, social scientists and legal experts will work together to assess the efficacy of these systems, and suggest best practices to minimise their impact.

Those experts will work with industry representatives, academia and civil society organisations to further the understanding of algorithmic systems. Their tasks will include analysing transparency, evaluating potential risks and recommending new transparent techniques and best practices.

In addition to identifying and mitigating systemic risks associated with the designated platforms, the ECAT researchers will also examine the long-term societal implications of algorithmic systems.

"The world is watching us. And this is an interesting but also challenging place to be because we could be, if we do it well, a source of inspiration," Renate Nikolay, the Deputy Director General of the Commission's digital department, said in her speech during the inauguration event.

"We have to show that we are not only good at adopting rules but actually also at bringing about change. Real change."

Nikolay also addressed the sceptics.

"I want to give a strong signal of reassurance. We have shown in the EU once more that we are rule makers, not rule takers," she told journalists ahead of the official inauguration.

"That we are ready and willing — showing the lead in how we see accountability in the online environment; how we see accountability in platforms; and how we are prepared in Brussels to put order into the Wild West of the Internet."