Our reporter Xu Haiyan, Chen Junlu, Huang Yong
From March 1, the regulations on the administration of Internet information service algorithm recommendation jointly issued by the state network information office and other four departments will be implemented. China’s first laws and regulations specifically recommended for algorithms, including “big data killing” and other algorithm governance pain points. How to get people out of being recommended by the algorithm? How to stop your favorite shopping platform?
Multiple platforms follow orders,
However, there are still algorithm abuses
Whether it’s taking a taxi, online shopping, ordering takeout, playing games, watching videos, browsing news… In the era of big data, Internet algorithms have gone deep into all aspects of society. A set of excellent algorithms can respond to thousands of concurrent requirements and make the best decisions in a few milliseconds, so that the whole system can serve these users at the same time.
However, Huang Jia, a white-collar worker in Nanjing, felt that the “accurate recommendation” of online shopping e-commerce made him feel that he had no privacy. She told reporters that often shortly after chatting with friends or searching or online shopping for a product, the e-commerce platform “overwhelming” makes corresponding recommendations, “sometimes browse the gossip news of a star, and then similar videos will come.”
The newly implemented management regulation makes it clear that users should be provided with a convenient option to turn off algorithm recommendation services. In March 3rd, reporters found that after the App tests of WeChat, Taobao, Jingdong, the US group, jowl and hungry, all of them had provided the personalized content service tiktok option. In the “privacy” column of “Settings” of wechat app, personalized advertising recommendation can be turned off under “personal information and permission”. Taobao app has buttons to turn off personalized recommendation in “advertising management” and “recommendation management” in “settings privacy”. JD app also has the close button of personalized advertising and personalized recommendation in the “protection of users’ personal information rights and interests” in “Settings - brief version of privacy policy”.
However, while many platforms listen to orders and act, there are still many algorithm abuse, which makes people “unhappy”. From March 1 to 5, the reporter found that the phenomenon of “big data ripening” still occurs from time to time on some tourism, taxi and other network platforms.
“If you use different mobile phones to search the information of the same hotel, the displayed price will still be different.” These days, Shi Jie, who works in Suzhou, is planning to go to Yuantouzhu, Wuxi to enjoy the cherry blossoms. When arranging the trip, she finds that there are still “pits”. When traveling to Dunhuang last year, she stayed in the same hotel, the same platform, the same room type and the same day. The cost of booking a hotel through a software cost more than 200 yuan than her colleagues who don’t often use the software, which made her stay in mind.
Wang Xiaowen, who lives in Yuhuatai District, Nanjing, often takes a taxi to Hexi to work in the morning. Therefore, she bought the “taxi weekly card” launched by didi platform. 5.8 kilometers to work, the express price is 11.4 yuan after 20% discount, the carpool price is 8.04 yuan after spelling, and the “buy it now price” of 13.89 yuan if it fails to spell. “I’ve never hit the express train in the morning rush hour.” On March 3, Wang Xiaowen told reporters that if only the express train is selected on the taxi page in the morning rush hour, no one will answer the order for half an hour, but after carpooling is added to the option, a driver will come in a few minutes. “What’s more irritating is that if I can spell the same passenger, it can be cheaper. But I’m always the only one on the bus until the end. I can only calculate the price according to the” not spell “, which is more than two yuan more expensive than taking the express.”
The results of the survey on the problem of “killing” big data of Internet consumption recently released by Beijing Consumer Association also show that the phenomenon of algorithm abuse still exists: 86.91% of respondents believe that they have been “killed”; Among the 32 simulated consumption experience samples from 16 platforms, 14 samples of new and old accounts buy the same goods (services) at different prices, which is suspected of infringing on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.
Perfect the algorithm,
Safeguarding the rights and interests of many practitioners
The expectation of online car Hailing drivers and takeout kids is that no matter how complex the algorithm is, it’s best for them to make more money and don’t make them sweat and cry.
Liu Yong, a Nanjing native who has been driving a taxi for 10 years, became a didi driver in 2018. At the beginning, he could earn more than 10000 yuan every month, but in the past two years, he found it more and more difficult to earn more than 10000 yuan a month. “There are fewer and fewer awards, but more and more points are deducted.” Liu Yong told reporters that according to the company’s regulations, the higher the driver’s credit score, the greater the possibility of being sent orders. If you successfully receive a order, you can get 0.2 credit score, but as long as you are complained once, you can deduct directly from 5 points, “forcing you to keep running”.
In addition, the so-called “single impulse Award” also gives didi drivers a headache. Take the morning rush hour as an example. After completing the number of basic orders, drivers will receive rewards of varying amounts for each three orders. However, many drivers reported that when the reward list was almost completed, the platform often sent a long-time order, and the driver had to bite the bullet. Next - refusing to accept would also deduct credit points. “If you’re in the east of the city, you’ll get a list to the west of the city. If you’re in the city, you’ll get a list to the countryside. Anyway, you can’t get a reward.” Dripping driver Zhou Hui and reporters make complaints about themselves.
According to the rules of the platform, if there are more than one person in a single order during the morning rush hour, the driver can calculate the odd number according to the number of people in a single order, so that the reward requirements can be met at once. “However, our drivers can only wait for the platform to send orders, and we have to follow everything.” Zhou Hui said.
As for the takeout platform, most of its algorithms blindly pursue “efficiency” and put the delivery staff under the pressure of “system”. During lunch and dinner, many people urged. Sometimes the takeout boys rushed to the restaurant, but the dishes were not ready; Sometimes the platform is unscientific, the little brother goes late, and the dishes become cool, which affects the consumer experience.
The implementation of the new management regulations is expected to gradually change the above unreasonable phenomena. The reporter noted that the new regulations specifically proposed that if algorithm recommendation service providers provide work scheduling services to workers, they should protect the legitimate rights and interests of workers to obtain labor remuneration, rest and vacation, establish and improve platform order distribution, remuneration composition and payment, working hours, rewards and punishments and other relevant algorithms.
“Compared with the Internet platform, online car Hailing drivers and takeout kids are in a weak position. The proposal of these terms will help improve their survival and work