Head of ECAT: "Users should be able to know what to expect from online platforms"

The Head of the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT), Alberto Pena, was recently interviewed by Spanish specialised publication Diario La Ley. With the Digital Services Act coming into full force this February, Alberto recapped how ECAT was initially conceived and the work it has done so far in its first year of life.

Asked about the importance of algorithms being transparent, Alberto explained that users should be able to know what to expect from online platforms to make informed decisions, which is what algorithmic transparency guarantees. ECAT’s expertise in this field will also be of great help in contributing to set up the AI Office, as announced recently by the Commission.

The piece also outlines ECAT’s main goals, namely platform assessment and investigation, scientific research and foresight, and networking and community building.

You can read the article (in Spanish) here.