For many years, computer scientists tried to sell the idea that algorithms are impartial and fair. But in 2020, there’s enough information out there to know that “algorithms are opinions embedded in code” which respond and reinforce biases and prejudices. This is relevant when talking about social media platforms.
When consuming information from newspapers and magazines, we commonly know where they politically stand on several issues. However, social media platforms also have people in charge of content and policies with biases and preferences though it is commonly easier for them to blame any action on the “algorithm”. With that in mind, we cannot disregard who is in charge of the content and policies of Twitter México.
Hugo Rodríguez Nicolat (@HugoRodriguezN) is the Head of Public Policy for México and LatAm at Twitter. In this role, the person is not only in charge of conducting business on behalf of the company but also internally sets the path to engineers on what’s fair play and what’s not in terms of content. The thing is that it is hard to argue that Rodríguez is an impartial stakeholder. He held different positions with prominent Panistas such as Diego Fernández de Ceballos and even worked at the PAN. He was also a member of Felipe Calderón’s transition team and held several positions during his ultra-conservative administration.
Because of these ties to the Mexican far-right from a company executive, it is valid to question if Twitter policies on blocking and suspending accounts are being (im)partial, such as several people are currently doing. Social media users began questioning @TwitterSeguro and, after complicit silence, the double standard raised a few eyebrows; some accounts akin to the 4T are being negatively affected whereas prominent accounts from the far-right, some of them even with serious accusations of sexual violence, have been spreading out fake news about buying the Covid-19 vaccine in the US without any consequences.
Nobody expects full agreement of opinions in a democratic society, but some anti-government users are spreading false information about the COVID-19 vaccine amid a pandemic! COVID-19 vaccine can’t be purchased for $20 in pharmacies by the general public in the United States, which was exactly what some of these users stated, using their own relatives as “proof”. Currently, only front-line health care workers and elders living in nursing homes are getting the vaccine under a very controlled distribution program. This can be fact-checked and therefore, we urge Twitter to aware users of misleading information that can have undesired consequences.
In South of el Muro, we have never pretended to be anything we are or we are not. And that’s why since the beginning of this project we have been pushing for transparency in the media and platforms like Twitter shouldn't be exempted from this call for transparency.
We urge Twitter to live up to its own commitments of transparency and fairness and present the blocking and suspending methodology or guidelines so people can understand the reason why some pro-AMLO accounts are being blocked and suspended and other conservative accounts are still out there spreading fake news and misinformation with all impunity.
The double standard must stop!