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Measuring the "Filter Bubble": How Google is influencing what you click
Over the years, there has been considerable discussion of Google's "filter bubble" problem. Put simply, it's the manipulation of your search results based on your personal data. In practice this means links are moved up or down or added to your Google search results, necessitating the filtering of other search results altogether. These editorialized results are informed by the personal information Google has on you (like your search, browsing, and purchase history), and puts you in a bubble based on what Google's algorithms think you're most likely to click on.
The filter bubble is particularly pernicious when searching for political topics. That's because undecided and inquisitive voters turn to search engines to conduct basic research on candidates and issues in the critical time when they are forming their opinions on them. If they’re getting information that is swayed to one side because of their personal filter bubbles, then this can have a significant effect on political outcomes in aggregate.
This is a moderately long read, as web pages go. IMO, it's well worth the time.
The code that we wrote to analyze the data is open source and available on our GitHub repository.
https://github.com/duckduckgo/filter-bubble-study
duckduckgo-filter-bubble-study-2018_participants.xls contains the instructions we sent to each participant, as well as basic anonymized data for each participant.
https://duckduckgo.com/download/duckduckgo-filter-bubble-study-2018_participants.xls
duckduckgo-filter-bubble-study-2018_raw-search-results.xls contains a separate sheet for search results per query and per mode (private and non-private). The results are listed as they appeared on the screen for each participant, showing both organic domains and infoboxes such as Top Stories (news), Videos, etc.
https://duckduckgo.com/download/duckduckgo-filter-bubble-study-2018_raw-search-results.xls
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Saturday December 15 2018, @11:00AM (13 children)
The road to hell is paved with...
The thing is, most of the time these customized search results are a benefit. It's really convenient to have local results prioritized, and for Google to know which sites I prefer to see results from. Although I use DuckDuckGo most of the time, there are times I just can't find what I want there, and I turn to Google.
OTOH, I can see someone who is into weird conspiracy theories - chem trails, 9/11, UFOs, whatever - being wound ever more tightly into their insanity. Where they ought to see how outré their views are, instead they will begin to think they are mainstream.
More generally for politics: I am of the opinion that you can only legitimately oppose a position if you understand it. I could argue, well and thoroughly, for open borders and unrestricted immigration - even though that is the opposite of what I believe. And it happens: See the arguments on both sides, understand them, and - whoops - maybe you'll change your original opinion. But if most people never even see the opposing arguments, how are they supposed to really understand the issues?
tl;dr: I totally understand the customization, it has benefits. But it would be a great service if Google added a prominent switch "filter bubble on/off", so that people could decided what they want, for any given search.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday December 15 2018, @11:27AM (1 child)
Good man. This is the primary reason I argue about anything on the Internet. Yes, it's a bit lazy to crowdsource your research but it's also generally more effective than performing it yourself if you pick folks who use their brains most of the time to argue with.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 15 2018, @06:54PM
lol
(Score: 2) by BsAtHome on Saturday December 15 2018, @11:33AM (5 children)
That would reduce the possibility to squeeze out more pennies from the "customer". In other words, it would reduce the bottom line. Remember, the search-engine is a cover for the sale of ads.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Saturday December 15 2018, @02:19PM (4 children)
How so? Presumably I'd be seeing the same ads whether I have the filter bubble turned on or off for my search results.
Being able to turn off the filter bubble for results would just mean I'd be more likely to be seeing their personally tuned ads, instead of going to elsewhere to get less biased results.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by nitehawk214 on Saturday December 15 2018, @10:01PM (3 children)
If people started seeing search results or media suggestions outside of their bubble, they might go to a different search engine. If youtube suggestions were videos that the viewer disagrees with or, actually are bullshit, they won't view them, and likely will go find entertainment elsewhere.
And this isn't just for hugbox items. If I start seeing astrology videos in my feed when I was searching for astronomy videos, I am going to get annoyed and leave the site. This example goes double because people are either idiots and confuse the two, or intentionally do so in order to lure in suckers. Either way, it isn't just a matter of things I disagree with, it is things that are actually wrong. I don't have time for that kind of bullshit.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Sunday December 16 2018, @07:58PM (2 children)
So, if you're looking for stuff tuned to your interests, why would you turn off the filter bubble? That's the beautiful thing about a switch, it lets *you* choose.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Monday December 17 2018, @03:28PM (1 child)
Yeah, that is a good point. I guess what I figure will happen is that they will include a button as a placebo, but do the filtering anyhow.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday December 20 2018, @02:40AM
I don't see why they would - the primary point of having such a switch (or currently, using another search engine or browser to avoid the filter bubble) is because your filter bubble is excluding whatever it is you're looking for. If flipping the switch does nothing, then you go right back to using another search engine.
I would however assume that they'd still be feeding your unfiltered search behavior into your filter-bubble algorithm. The goal after all would be to allow you to search outside your bubble *without* going to another engine. Seems to me the primary reason to do that (other than corporate benevolence) would be that they could continue to monitor you and sell your attention to advertisers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 15 2018, @05:59PM (1 child)
"weird conspiracy theories - ... 9/11"
are you fucking serious? i thought you were smarter than that.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by HiThere on Saturday December 15 2018, @06:15PM
If you aren't in a filter bubble, then you'll realize that the official story of what happened on 9/11 is widely accepted. Very widely accepted. That there are numerous problems with it does not mean that it isn't accepted. There are lots of problems with the official story of what happened at the Kennedy assassination, too. But knowing that the official story doesn't make sense doesn't mean that any particular alternative story makes sense either.
What seems to be going on is that government is reflexively lying to us to hide what is going on, and lots of people are so determined to understand that they create stories and believe them, without sufficient evidence. I'm not even convinced that the government always has a real reason to hide things, it's more like an automatic reaction. Perhaps it's a systems design problem created by the intersection of "National Security", "Clearance Required", and CYA.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 15 2018, @09:52PM
For weird conspiracy theories, I go to .gov, along with the major TV networks, they got some doozies!
As for borders, fuck the racists who want the wall, until they pull back the military to our side. Open borders is a two way street!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 16 2018, @02:41PM (1 child)
"OTOH, I can see someone who is into weird conspiracy theories - chem trails, 9/11, UFOs, whatever - being wound ever more tightly into their insanity. "
This is not hypothetical, you have perfectly described my brother
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 16 2018, @05:19PM
he may be wrong about some/much of his info, but you are probably more wrong overall if you are the typical brainwashed slave who isn't cynical about these things.