Auditing of algorithms : closed-door panel of the Florence competition summer conference

On 24 and 25 June 2021, the EUI held, both in Florence and online, the Summer Conference Effective remedies vis-vis digital platforms: competition policy and sector regulation at a crossroad. The event gathered different stakeholders, including officials from well-represented competition authorities, academics, industry representatives and practitioners, to discuss the growing interaction of competition policy and sector regulation with the remedies imposed on digital platforms. We are experiencing many antitrust investigations against online platforms on both sides of the Atlantic and proposed regulatory reforms addressing digital markets issues, such as the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). This environment provided fertile grounds for a vivid discussion. Different panels focused on the effectiveness of competition law remedies for digital markets, such as data portability, the establishment of data silos, the divestiture of platforms assets, interim relief, and algorithms auditing. As an experiment to spur a trusted, free flow of arguments and open conversation between experts, the last-mentioned digital remedies issue, Auditing of Algorithms (AoA), was the object of an invitation-only session under Chatham House Rule. This paper shares the main points that emerged during such a closed-door panel on auditing algorithms, maintaining the anonymity of information sources.