European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) Inaugurated in Seville

The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) has been officially opened by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Seville, Spain. ECAT has been established to conduct algorithmic accountability and transparency audits used by prominent online platforms and search engines, as mandated by the Digital Services Act (DSA).

To ensure compliance with these requirements, ECAT will provide the European Commission with in-house technical and scientific expertise, including the performance of technical analyses and evaluations of algorithms by an interdisciplinary team of experts. ECAT will also investigate the long-term societal impact of algorithms and work to identify and address systemic risks stemming from these platforms.

As per the DSA, ECAT’s role is to ensure that algorithmic systems used by Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines comply with the risk management, mitigation, and transparency requirements. These search engines and online platforms will have to assess and mitigate a wide array of systemic risks on their platforms, ranging from how illegal content and disinformation can be amplified through their services to the impact on freedom of expression or media freedom. Additionally, specific risks around gender-based violence online and the protection of minors online and their mental health must be addressed.