Discoverability and Algorithmic Recommendations in Video Streaming Platforms: Exploring Algorithmic Gender and Race Bias as a Canadian Broadcast Policy Concern

Abstract

Background: In 2023, the Canadian government passed legislation empowering the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to require streaming platforms to ensure the “discoverability” of Canadian content. These debates about discoverability provisions primarily focused on the promotion of Canadian content, with little emphasis on gender and racial equity. Analysis: Through interviews with stakeholders in the Canadian screen industry, we explore views on recommendation systems and questions of gender and race bias in streaming recommendations. Conclusion and implications: Interviews revealed concerns beyond promoting “Canadian” content that the broadcast reform initiative focuses on, including concerns about streaming recommendations’ tendencies to promote a narrow range of content and their failure to “see” and recommend content from racialized women.