Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have become major objects of criticism for reasons such as privacy violations, anticompetitive practices, and interference in public elections. Some of these problems have been associated with algorithms, but the roles that algorithms play i...

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Autores principales:	Florian Saurwein, Charlotte Spencer-Smith
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Cogitatio 2021
Materias:	algorithmic content curation algorithmic harm algorithms behavioural advertising content moderation internet social media Communication. Mass media P87-96
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/e4c32ed1c15a4fcc986f7aa8c61cd3b2
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:e4c32ed1c15a4fcc986f7aa8c61cd3b22021-11-18T11:14:13ZAutomated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms2183-243910.17645/mac.v9i4.4062https://doaj.org/article/e4c32ed1c15a4fcc986f7aa8c61cd3b22021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/4062https://doaj.org/toc/2183-2439Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have become major objects of criticism for reasons such as privacy violations, anticompetitive practices, and interference in public elections. Some of these problems have been associated with algorithms, but the roles that algorithms play in the emergence of different harms have not yet been systematically explored. This article contributes to closing this research gap with an investigation of the link between algorithms and harms on social media platforms. Evidence of harms involving social media algorithms was collected from media reports and academic papers within a two-year timeframe from 2018 to 2019, covering Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Harms with similar casual mechanisms were grouped together to inductively develop a typology of algorithmic harm based on the mechanisms involved in their emergence: (1) algorithmic errors, undesirable, or disturbing selections; (2) manipulation by users to achieve algorithmic outputs to harass other users or disrupt public discourse; (3) algorithmic reinforcement of pre-existing harms and inequalities in society; (4) enablement of harmful practices that are opaque and discriminatory; and (5) strengthening of platform power over users, markets, and society. Although the analysis emphasizes the role of algorithms as a cause of online harms, it also demonstrates that harms do not arise from the application of algorithms alone. Instead, harms can be best conceived of as socio-technical assemblages, composed of the use and design of algorithms, platform design, commercial interests, social practices, and context. The article concludes with reflections on possible governance interventions in response to identified socio-technical mechanisms of harm. Notably, while algorithmic errors may be fixed by platforms themselves, growing platform power calls for external oversight.Florian SaurweinCharlotte Spencer-SmithCogitatioarticlealgorithmic content curationalgorithmic harmalgorithmsbehavioural advertisingcontent moderationinternetsocial mediaCommunication. Mass mediaP87-96ENMedia and Communication, Vol 9, Iss 4, Pp 222-233 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	algorithmic content curation algorithmic harm algorithms behavioural advertising content moderation internet social media Communication. Mass media P87-96
spellingShingle	algorithmic content curation algorithmic harm algorithms behavioural advertising content moderation internet social media Communication. Mass media P87-96 Florian Saurwein Charlotte Spencer-Smith Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms
description	Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have become major objects of criticism for reasons such as privacy violations, anticompetitive practices, and interference in public elections. Some of these problems have been associated with algorithms, but the roles that algorithms play in the emergence of different harms have not yet been systematically explored. This article contributes to closing this research gap with an investigation of the link between algorithms and harms on social media platforms. Evidence of harms involving social media algorithms was collected from media reports and academic papers within a two-year timeframe from 2018 to 2019, covering Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Harms with similar casual mechanisms were grouped together to inductively develop a typology of algorithmic harm based on the mechanisms involved in their emergence: (1) algorithmic errors, undesirable, or disturbing selections; (2) manipulation by users to achieve algorithmic outputs to harass other users or disrupt public discourse; (3) algorithmic reinforcement of pre-existing harms and inequalities in society; (4) enablement of harmful practices that are opaque and discriminatory; and (5) strengthening of platform power over users, markets, and society. Although the analysis emphasizes the role of algorithms as a cause of online harms, it also demonstrates that harms do not arise from the application of algorithms alone. Instead, harms can be best conceived of as socio-technical assemblages, composed of the use and design of algorithms, platform design, commercial interests, social practices, and context. The article concludes with reflections on possible governance interventions in response to identified socio-technical mechanisms of harm. Notably, while algorithmic errors may be fixed by platforms themselves, growing platform power calls for external oversight.
format	article
author	Florian Saurwein Charlotte Spencer-Smith
author_facet	Florian Saurwein Charlotte Spencer-Smith
author_sort	Florian Saurwein
title	Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms
title_short	Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms
title_full	Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms
title_fullStr	Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms
title_full_unstemmed	Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms
title_sort	automated trouble: the role of algorithmic selection in harms on social media platforms
publisher	Cogitatio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/e4c32ed1c15a4fcc986f7aa8c61cd3b2
work_keys_str_mv	AT floriansaurwein automatedtroubletheroleofalgorithmicselectioninharmsonsocialmediaplatforms AT charlottespencersmith automatedtroubletheroleofalgorithmicselectioninharmsonsocialmediaplatforms
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Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms

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