Robots and Transparency: The Multiple Dimensions of Transparency in the Context of Robot Technologies

Transparency is often seen as a means to provide accountability and show that something is done with due diligence. This approach to transparency regards it as a remedy to hidden (potentially malevolent) practices. We, therefore, require transparency from manufacturers of products and services. While the outcry for more transparency often occurs in response to a particular scandal (e.g., the various controversies surrounding Facebook in 2018), the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) includes transparency as a proactive requirement for information technologies that process personal data.