In this paper, we engage with and expand on the keynote talk about the Right to Audit given by Prof. Christian Sandvig at the IC2S2 2021 through a critical reflection on power asymmetries in the algorithm auditing field. We elaborate on the challenges and asymmetries mentioned by Sandvig - such as those related to legal issues and the disparity between early-career and senior researchers. We also contribute a discussion of the asymmetries that were not covered by Sandvig but that we find critically important: those related to other disparities between researchers, incentive structures related to the access to data from companies, targets of auditing and users and their rights. We also discuss the implications these asymmetries have for algorithm auditing research such as the Western-centrism and the lack of the diversity of perspectives. While we focus on the field of algorithm auditing specifically, we suggest some of the discussed asymmetries affect Computational Social Science more generally and need to be reflected on and addressed.

翻译：本文通过对IC2S2 2021会议上Christian Sandvig教授关于审计权主题演讲的批判性反思，深入探讨并拓展了算法审计领域中的权力不对称问题。我们详细阐述了Sandvig提及的挑战与不对称性——例如与法律问题相关的不对称，以及早期职业研究者与资深研究者之间的差异。同时，我们补充讨论了Sandvig未涉及但我们认为至关重要的不对称性：包括研究者之间其他差异所引发的不对称、与公司数据获取相关的激励结构、审计对象与用户及其权利之间的不对称。我们还探讨了这些不对称性对算法审计研究的影响，如西方中心主义与视角多样性的缺失。尽管本文重点关注算法审计领域，但我们认为所讨论的部分不对称性问题也广泛影响着计算社会科学，亟需反思与应对。