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We unleashed Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms on blank accounts. They served up sexism and misogyny

www.theguardian.com We unleashed Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms on blank accounts. They served up sexism and misogyny

Result of Guardian Australia experiment aligns with research showing social media automatically delivers troubling content to young men, largely without oversight

We unleashed Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms on blank accounts. They served up sexism and misogyny

"How do the algorithms of Facebook and Instagram affect what you see in your news feed? To find out, Guardian Australia unleashed them on a completely blank smartphone linked to a new, unused email address.

Three months later, without any input, they were riddled with sexist and misogynistic content..."

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  • What's this got to do with the UK exactly?

    • If anyone has an issue with the appropriateness of an article for a community feel free to report it and let the Mods decide. There's no need to make a big deal about it.

      I'm now locking discussion here as it has become uncivil and, ironically, off-topic.

    • heard there's women there

      • Tell ya agenda based posters stand out like a sore thumb and I've seen these accounts far too many times modding over on lel weddits.

        Sent a couple of reports in for this 1 week old account, might be wise to fire some more in?

        • Everyone has an agenda you fucking nonce. Anyway I'm firing off reports about your harrassment of new accounts.

          • No they don't.

            Also, it's nice to make easy tags against agenda based instance users piling in with uncivil remarks.

            Really telling, and appreciated.

            • Yeah you're totally right, people come and here and post for literally no reason whatsoever all the time. Completely normal to post without any form of motivation behind it. Like obviously there's absolutely no motive behind your accusations of "agenda posting", you just slapped a random set of letters and they happened to form those words.
              Maybe you should examine what you really mean when you accuse other people of having an agenda.

              • Believe me I will do, and there's no harm in calling it out since it's completely off topic to our fine nation.

                But your bait with name calling is again, telling. Hope your thumb gets better :(

                • No you won't, if you were the type to self crit you would have just done it instead of assuring me it'll happen. Also it is on topic and our nation is far from fine, by any definition of the word.

                  I don't know what that last line is supposed to mean, but your latching onto name calling suggests you're incapable of forming a coherent argument and can only argue against people being mean to you, not against their actual points.

                  At least we can be sure you're not lying about being from Bradford.

                  • There is no argument, you're just a prat that likes to call people names when they surface bullshit.

                    I'd apologise if you could fathom what goes on with your feed but I also know masochists like this bullshit in their feed and bickering about it.

                    Have fun!

    • We have Facebook and Instagram in the UK, and I thought it was interesting and important information.

      • We also have KFC and McDonald's, but does that mean a study from the US about them should be posted here too?

        It's really not on topic especially since it's coming from an Australian study?

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