Are Algorithm Registers Transparent? Perspectives from Germany
2026-06-01 • Computers and Society
Computers and Society
AI summaryⓘ
The authors looked at public databases in Germany that show basic info about algorithms used by the government to see how well they make these systems clear and understandable. They used a plan made by Alina Lorenz to create checklists that help evaluate how good these databases are at being transparent. Then, they tested two main German registers, MaKI and Lernende Systeme, and found that both need improvements to better meet transparency goals. They also suggested ways to show how transparent a register is and gave ideas to make existing platforms better.
algorithm registertransparencypublic administrationAI systemsaudit frameworkGermanyMaKILernende Systemegovernancechecklist
Authors
Iman Peljto, Xenia Heilmann, Mattia Cerrato
Abstract
Algorithm registers are public-facing databases that display basic information about algorithms employed in public administration. While several such registers exist across Europe and globally, their capacity to deliver meaningful transparency remains contested. In Germany, the landscape is notably fragmented: no federal-level register exists, yet at least five state- and federal-level initiatives publish information about AI systems with varying scopes and objectives. A recent conceptual proposal by Alina Lorenz (2025), outlines technical and governance requirements for a national AI transparency register in Germany. We repurpose this proposal as an audit instrument, extracting structured checklists from the transparency goals and subgoals it formulates. The resulting checklists, translated from German into English, is made publicly available to support practitioners auditing existing registers or designing new ones. We apply this framework to conduct an external audit of the two main existing German transparency initiatives, MaKI and Lernende Systeme, evaluating the extent to which they fulfill the proposed goals. Our audit reveals that several adaptations are likely needed for these registers to serve as an useful transparency instrument. We further propose a visualization of register transparency levels and derive concrete action items for improving existing German platforms.