University of Kwazulu-Natal

The Influence Of Social Media Algorithms On Speech A Case Study Of

Bonisiwe Shabane
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the influence of social media algorithms on speech a case study of

The Algorithmic Society: Navigating Free Speech in the Digital Age The digital revolution has ushered in an era some have termed "the algorithmic society," where social media platforms and search engines wield unprecedented influence over public discourse, arguably rivaling the power once held by... This shift has sparked intense debate about the future of free speech in the digital realm, challenging traditional legal frameworks and raising complex questions about the role of technology in shaping our conversations. The First Amendment to the US Constitution, a cornerstone of American free speech protections, is increasingly seen as inadequate in addressing the challenges posed by algorithmic curation. Legal scholars argue that the traditional understanding of free speech fails to account for the subtle yet powerful ways in which algorithms shape what we see and hear online. Platforms, through their algorithms, effectively act as gatekeepers of information, curating and prioritizing content in ways that can privilege certain voices while silencing others.

This raises concerns about the potential for algorithmic bias and censorship, even in the absence of explicit content removal. The debate extends beyond content moderation, the practice of removing harmful or offensive posts. Experts argue that the very business models of these platforms incentivize algorithmic manipulation of speech. The pursuit of engagement and profit drives the development of algorithms designed to maximize user attention, often through the amplification of sensational or polarizing content. This can create echo chambers and filter bubbles, limiting exposure to diverse perspectives and potentially exacerbating societal divisions. The question then becomes: how do we regulate these powerful algorithms without stifling innovation and further concentrating power?

One proposal gaining traction is increased transparency. Making algorithms public could shed light on the underlying mechanisms by which they shape online discourse, allowing for greater scrutiny and accountability. However, this approach faces practical challenges, including the complexity of these algorithms and the potential for revealing proprietary information. Furthermore, even with full transparency, the sheer volume of data processed by these algorithms makes it difficult for individuals to fully comprehend their impact. How have social media algorithms changed the way we interact? Social media algorithms, in their commonly known form, are now 15 years old.

They were born with Facebook’s introduction of ranked, personalised news feeds, external in 2009 and have transformed how we interact online. And like many teenagers, they pose a challenge to grown-ups who hope to curb their excesses. It’s not for want of trying. This year alone, governments around the world have attempted to limit the impacts of harmful content and disinformation on social media – effects that are amplified by algorithms. Social media algorithms have been a part of our online experience for 15 years now, shaping how we interact and consume information on various platforms. These algorithms, born with Facebook’s introduction of ranked news feeds in 2009, have transformed the digital landscape and raised concerns about their impact on free speech.

Governments around the world have been grappling with the challenges posed by social media algorithms, which can amplify harmful content and disinformation. From Brazil briefly banning X (formerly known as Twitter) to the EU introducing new rules to fine tech firms for election interference, there is a growing push to regulate the influence of algorithms on... However, the debate over free speech and algorithmic control is complex. While some argue for a marketplace of ideas where all voices are heard equally, others point out that algorithms can distort public discourse by prioritizing controversial or sensational content. The role of algorithms in shaping our online conversations is a critical issue that requires careful consideration. As social media platforms continue to evolve, there are calls for more transparency and user control over algorithms.

New platforms like Bluesky are exploring ways to give users more agency in curating their online experience, moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional algorithms. In the end, the future of social media algorithms may lie in the hands of the people themselves. As users become more discerning about their online interactions and seek out more private and accountable spaces, the influence of algorithms on public discourse may shift. The ongoing debate over the role of algorithms in shaping our online conversations highlights the need for a nuanced approach to balancing free speech and algorithmic control in the digital age. You are seeing this because the administrator of this website has set up Anubis to protect the server against the scourge of AI companies aggressively scraping websites. This can and does cause downtime for the websites, which makes their resources inaccessible for everyone.

Anubis is a compromise. Anubis uses a Proof-of-Work scheme in the vein of Hashcash, a proposed proof-of-work scheme for reducing email spam. The idea is that at individual scales the additional load is ignorable, but at mass scraper levels it adds up and makes scraping much more expensive. Ultimately, this is a hack whose real purpose is to give a "good enough" placeholder solution so that more time can be spent on fingerprinting and identifying headless browsers (EG: via how they do... Please note that Anubis requires the use of modern JavaScript features that plugins like JShelter will disable. Please disable JShelter or other such plugins for this domain.

This website is running Anubis version 1.21.3. Chatbots have the potential to sway democratic elections — and the most persuasive methods tend to introduce factual inaccuracies.Credit: Marcus Harrison/Alamy Artificial-intelligence chatbots can influence voters in major elections — and have a bigger effect on people’s political views than conventional campaigning and advertising. A study published today in Nature1 found that participants’ preferences in real-world elections swung by up to 15 percentage points after conversing with a chatbot. In a related paper published in Science2, researchers showed that these chatbots’ effectiveness stems from their ability to synthesize a lot of information in a conversational way. AI is more persuasive than people in online debates

The findings showcase the persuasive power of chatbots, which are used by more than one hundred million users each day, says David Rand, an author of both studies and a cognitive scientist at Cornell... Part of the PKP Publishing Services Network Based at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, USA, The Journal of Social Media in Society is sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies, the Colleges of Liberal and Fine Arts, Education, Business, Graduate... The perspective presented here suggests that focusing on the human psychology of misinformation sharing (e.g. attention to accuracy, partisan bias, attention to moral and emotional information) is necessary but not sufficient to combat its spread. To combat misinformation holistically, we suggest a dual-pronged approach that uses person-centered interventions combined with design-centered interventions [14,35].

Several person-centered interventions have already trained people to notice how misinformation exploits our attention to moral and emotional information [11,62,63].

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