3.0 Learning Outcomes

Analyze how algorithms affect the spread and use of information by:

• Listing the ways algorithms affect displayed information.
• Identifying automated methods for influencing information dispersal and retrieval.
• Examining how automated systems combine with human interaction to impact user experience.

As we have seen, the online information landscape is complex. News is published in many places, using a variety of methods by various players. Various automatic systems thread throughout the entire online information landscape and dictate what searchers and social media users are exposed to (or not exposed to). We call this information automation, and it underlies everything we do online. In this chapter, we will cover:

• Search Engines
• Algorithms
• Social Media Newsfeeds

The chapter will examine several malicious players who use algorithms to spread false information and conclude with a look at the large online companies whose technology is intensifying the problem.