Facebook would be forced to offer algorithm-free feed under new bipartisan bill

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced legislation on Tuesday to require Big Tech platforms such as Facebook and Google to allow users to view content that has not been curated by secret algorithms, forcing transparency about content delivery.

The Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which already has a companion bill in the Senate, would require online platforms with over 1 million users and more than $50 million in revenue per year to notify users that their platform uses an algorithm to determine the timing and fashion in which information is delivered to users.

It would also force social media giants to give users the option to view content without any algorithms at play, thereby allowing users to toggle between a personalized, algorithm-influenced timeline and a purely chronological timeline.

The top leaders of the House antitrust panel, Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, introduced the legislation in conjunction with Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Jerry Moran of Kansas, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, along with Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, and Brian Schatz of Hawaii.