Filter Bubble

Credit: Pranay Parab Google has been criticized before for putting your search results inside a "filter bubble." That's because, in most cases, Google uses data from each of your searches to create a profile on you and tailors all future search results accordingly. Over a period of time, you end…

Austin, a 28-year-old self-identified gay man living in Beijing, told The China Project that he had tailored social media algorithms to curate content suited to his interests. “Compared with apps designed specifically for gay men, such as Blued, I prefer mainstream social media platforms, especially Douyin, because it offers a…

TikTok is adjusting its algorithm to avoid showing users the same types of videos too frequently. Why it matters: TikTok says the adjustments are being made to ensure it isn't inadvertently reinforcing viewpoints that could be bad for a person's wellbeing. Details: The company is testing ways to avoid recommending…

A proposed bipartisan law that would force tech companies to let netizens view posts and search results free of meddling by mysterious algorithms has gained further support in Congress. On Tuesday, US House reps Ken Buck (R-CO), David Cicilline (D-RI), Lori Trahan (D-MA), and Burgess Owens (R-UT) introduced the Filter…

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced legislation that would give people more control over the algorithms that shape their online experience. If passed, the Filter Bubble Transparency Act would require companies like Meta to offer a version of their platforms that runs on an "input-transparent" algorithm that doesn't…

Friday was supposed to be a big day. “The morning of August 13 it’ll be the talk of the world,” Mike Lindell, the MyPillow impresario and purveyor of discredited conspiracy theories about a stolen presidential election, warned during a recent appearance on a conservative podcast. Lindell, who is being sued…

Is this new section actually useful for music discovery? A new update is rolling out to Spotify that makes it easier to see if your favourite artists have released new music recently. If you’re a Spotify listener, you’ll notice a small bell icon in the top right-hand corner of your…

Researchers have developed a search engine tool that shows what Google search results appear in different countries or languages, highlighting key differences in the algorithm between regions. Search Atlas allows users to cross the borders of the "filter bubble" they live in, which Google creates using data on a person's…

Released today, the Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto says, “The Internet and the media landscape are broken. The dominant commercial Internet platforms endanger democracy. Despite all the great opportunities the Internet has offered to society and individuals, the digital giants have acquired unparalleled economic, political and cultural…

The books of Republican politicians might be described as political romances. Harboring fantasies of an electorate falling in love with them, they come bearing a dowry of policy prescriptions donated by right-wing think tanks. These books occupy a world of willful delusion, where, in 200 or so generously spaced pages,…