Facebook Papers: How Their Algorithm Spread Anger and Misinformation

28/10/2021 10 min
Facebook Papers: How Their Algorithm Spread Anger and Misinformation

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Episode Synopsis

The Facebook Papers are out and it is shedding more light on how executives there weighed various tradeoffs between their bottom line and impacts on public safety. In one instance, it took them years to implement a fix for the algorithm that was feeding people angry, emotional content filled with misinformation. If you used the angry emoji on a post instead of the like button, it carried more weight and then feed you more of the same, despite the signal that you did not like it. Jeremy Merrill, data reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.