French Politicians Raise Concerns Over Algorithmic Bias Against Women in Campaigns

A coalition of elected female politicians in France has sparked a significant discussion by accusing Meta's social media platforms of displaying algorithmic bias against women. They argue that these biases adversely affect their election campaigns and expose them to waves of cyberbullying.

These allegations come ahead of local elections in France, where social media has become a crucial tool for communicating with voters and promoting political agendas.

Accusations of Targeting Male Audiences

Élodie Gantois, a regional councilor from the Green Party, has been a prominent voice in highlighting this issue. She pointed out that the algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram tend to present her political content primarily to a male audience. Gantois confirmed that approximately 86% of the viewers of her videos are men, emphasizing that this demographic skew is not related to the nature of her topics but rather to her gender as a woman.

Direct Actions Against Perceived Discrimination

Gantois has decided to approach Meta's office in Paris to seek clarity on how their algorithms function. She believes that classifying political content based on gender undermines fairness in electoral competition. While acknowledging that social networks have become essential for candidate visibility, she expressed concern that the algorithms treat her political content as if it were intended for non-political purposes.

Petition Warns of Consequences

About 100 elected female officials, primarily from the Green and Socialist parties, along with other political figures, have joined a petition warning about the impact of these mechanisms on women's chances in electoral campaigns. The participants affirmed that algorithmic bias not only reduces access to audiences but also increases the likelihood of facing online harassment and threats.

Human Rights Concerns Over Algorithmic Impact on Democracy

Amnesty International in France stated that these technical biases are documented and that recommendation systems could direct content to an audience more susceptible to negative interactions, potentially exacerbating harassment or threats against women in politics. European Parliament member David Cormand warned that this phenomenon particularly affects local officials who lack specialized media teams to manage their digital presence.

Calls for Transparency and Equality

The politicians have urged Meta to provide greater transparency regarding the criteria for recommending political content and to ensure equal access for candidates to audiences, thereby promoting political plurality. In response, Meta confirmed that its content display systems are based on thousands of different indicators, while the politicians believe that highlighting this issue aims to raise public awareness about the influence of digital platforms on democratic processes.