Study: YouTube’s Algorithm Still Amplifies Hate, Disinfo

Politico reports:

Violent videos and misinformation are amplified by YouTube’s algorithm, despite the company’s rules meant to limit their spread, according to a Mozilla Foundation report published July 7.

The foundation — a nonprofit that advocates on privacy issues — found 71 percent of all videos that volunteers reported as disturbing were recommended by the video-sharing platform’s algorithm. They included conspiracies about 9/11 and the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the promotion of white supremacy.

Researchers also found that people in non-English speaking countries were more likely to encounter videos they considered disturbing, indicating that YouTube’s efforts to better police its platforms have been uneven.

Read the full article.

Violent videos and misinformation are amplified by YouTube’s algorithm, despite the company’s rules meant to limit their spread, according to a Mozilla Foundation report. https://t.co/PXcyGM04cn

— Clothilde Goujard (@clothildegouj) July 8, 2021