Facebook's algorithm amplified anger and misinformation in news feeds
Facebook's news feed ranking algorithm, starting in 2017, gave emoji reactions like 'angry' five times the weight of 'likes', pushing more emotional and provocative content to users. Internal documents revealed this design aimed to increase engagement, but it also fostered rage and misinformation. The article reports that this algorithmic change had widespread effects on users' news feeds, though no specific individual harm is detailed.
- Date it happened
- 2017-01-01
- Organisation involved
- Product, system or model
- Facebook News Feed algorithm
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