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News on Algorithms and Automation
Beyond Facebook and Twitter: The Impact of New and Niche Platforms For years, Facebook and Twitter dominated scholarly research about the social media landscape. But in the last few years, new video-based social networks and alt-platforms have emerged. How do these platforms fit into the broader online ecosystem and what impact could they have in […]
A Primer on AI in/from the Majority World is a curated collection of over 160 thematic works that serve as pathways to explore the presence of artificial intelligence and technology in the geographic regions that are home to the majority of the human population. Instead of assuming that knowledge and innovations move out of the […]
By Sareeta Amrute, Ranjit Singh, and Rigoberto Lara GuzmánClaes De Vreese is a Distinguished University Professor of AI & Society at the University of Amsterdam with a special focus on AI, media, and democracy. He also holds the Chair of Political Communication at The Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam. He is the founding inaugural scientific director of the Digital Democracy […]
The Federal Trade Commission has indicated that it intends to regulate discriminatory AI products and services. This is a welcome development, but its true significance has not been appreciated to date. This Article argues that the FTC’s flexible authority to regulate ‘unfair and deceptive acts and practices’ offers several distinct advantages over traditional discrimination law […]
In February 2021, Facebook abruptly wiped all of the news from its platform in Australia. The country’s lawmakers were trying to force the company to share its profits with media outlets, and this was the dramatic response. The gambit worked: After a nearly week-long blackout, which extended to pages from Australian nonprofits and government services, […]
By Kaitlyn TiffanyFor many, search engines are crucial gateways to (political) information. While extant research is concerned with algorithmic bias, user choices had been largely neglected. Yet, search queries are the key way in which searchers explicate their information need. Building on framing theory and selective exposure, we argue that queries are ingrained with (political) predispositions: issue […]
Instagram is blocking posts that mention abortion from public view, in some cases requiring its users to confirm their age before letting them view posts that offer up information about the procedure. Over the last day, several Instagram accounts run by abortion rights advocacy groups have found their posts or stories hidden with a warning […]
By Amanda SeitzIn May 2021, during India’s second wave of COVID-19, SQ Masood and his father-in-law were returning home on his silver-coloured motor scooter in Hyderabad, in the Indian state of Telangana. While driving through the busy lanes of Shahran, a Muslim-dominated neighborhood, they were pulled over by two police officers. Masood wasn’t concerned at first because […]
By Agnee GhoshElon Musk’s bid to acquire Twitter for $44 billion is only a month old, but it has already had more twists and turns than any Coney Island roller coaster. After Musk filed notice of his offer with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 13, Twitter’s board of directors implemented a “poison pill” defense, which […]
By Mathew IngramElon Musk’s tweet saying his planned Twitter Inc. acquisition was on hold put the spotlight on questions about fake accounts, which have vexed social-media platforms for years. Mr. Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., said in a tweet early Friday that his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter was “temporarily on hold pending […]
By Sarah E. Needleman