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YouTube More Likely to Direct Election-Fraud Videos to Users Doubting 2020 Election


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Those most skeptical of the election’s legitimacy were shown three times as many election-fraud-related videos as were the least skeptical study participants.

Credit: JJ Gouin/Getty Images

New York University (NYU) researchers found YouTube algorithms were more likely to recommend election fraud-related videos to users who already doubted the legitimacy of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

The most-skeptical users were shown three times as many videos as were the least-skeptical users, which highlights the risks of recommendation algorithms that give users the content they desire.

YouTube's algorithms directed skeptics to an average of eight additional videos about possible fraud in the 2020 election.

Said NYU's James Bisbee, "Our findings uncover the detrimental consequences of recommendation algorithms and cast doubt on the view that online information environments are solely determined by user choice."

From New York University
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Abstracts Copyright © 2022 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

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