The algorithm mostly misleads users

We live in an age of misinformation. Every day we come across reports on the Internet, on social networks and other platforms; these are usually also distributed using algorithms. The Mozilla Foundation has taken a look at the extent to which YouTube has been affected by such phenomena and the results over the past 10 months summarized in one report.

The data has been collected since September 2020 and collected via the “RegretsReporter” extension. This is an in-house add-on which is available for Firefox and Google Chrome and which the user can use to report questionable recommendations on the video platform. Mozilla then summarizes the data.

The analysis now published is based on 3,362 responses. These show that the algorithm on YouTube is violating the company’s terms and conditions and rules. Because 12.2 percent of the recommended content should not even be available on the video platform. Nine percent of these videos were also deleted from YouTube after the survey.

The new investigation also highlights another problem. Forbidden content receives a lot of attention until the social network actually takes action and takes it offline, the views go into the hundreds of millions.

Often the videos recommended by YouTube have absolutely no relation to the previous video, so the user is simply drawn into the maelstrom of false information and prohibited content. Mozilla also has suggestions on how YouTube could address the problem. This should make the algorithm more transparent and viewers have the opportunity to switch off recommended videos. But whether this will be implemented is questionable, YouTube earns a lot of money this way.

Own opinion:

Google has long had a problem with its own products when it comes to recommended content. This means that users are increasingly being guided along paths in the direction of content that has little to do with reality. Here the legislature should step in and regulate the platforms better, after all, misinformation is always a danger to our democracy.

Via The Verge