The algorithm has determined that you are going to read this article – why?

It’s been Silicon Valley’s magic word for a decade: algorithms. But what exactly is an algorithm? And why do we often hear it in a negative context? In this article, we fully explain the algorithm to you.

What is an Algorithm?

It seems like the whole (digital) world revolves around one thing these days: algorithms. But what is it in fact? In the simplest sense, an algorithm is nothing more than a step-by-step plan to achieve a goal. Your math problems are basically algorithms, but so is your grandma’s delicious lasagna recipe. An algorithm is therefore not by definition a technical concept. Yet we often hear it in this context.

In the latest news on tech companies and social media, we hear this term too often. Read on to find out why tech companies like Apple use a lot of algorithms.

Why Tech Companies Love Algorithms

Algorithms are often mentioned in the same breath as large datasets. Everything you do on the internet goes through cookies and other software store a mountain of digital information. It’s all your Google searches, the videos you watch, and the ads you’re interested in. Big tech companies also store where you watch this, what time you see something like this, and how long you watch a video or photo. This is commonly referred to simply as “data”.

Tech companies then use this endless mountain of information to automate certain processes. This automation step is in the hands of this company’s algorithm. In the digital world, it’s all about tailoring ads to each person. This, in addition to selling devices and subscriptions, also contains a lot of money for technology companies.

This in itself is not a bad process at all. To browse all the mountains of data from all 8 billion people creating a personal advertising profile is a job that no genius can or will undertake. This is why this is automated via algorithms. For example, we don’t have a team of marketers who placed the relevant advertisement above specifically for you. No, a computer does it automatically. We only specify that an advertisement must be posted there.

Why then does the “algorithm” receive negative news?

Algorithms are therefore essential on many platforms that we use, especially if we want to organize large mountains of information. But this is where the pitfall of algorithms lies and this is precisely the reason why this word is so often negative in the news. Due to the automation of this “micro-decision-making”, sometimes important or harmful things are overlooked.

Problem 1: Companies keep everything on you

The first problem is confidentiality. Your data is used for algorithms. And as you read above, this data includes all of your online activities. By pressing certain buttons (terms and conditions) you allow tech companies to do this with your online presence. In return, you can use a website for free.

accept this cookies happening so fast that most of humanity does not realize what is being collected about them. But what harm can it do? We explain this by means of an example. There are data merchants who calculate “credit scores” with your data. It is a numerical system that indicates whether you can repay a loan. If you’ve ever gone into debt, in these datasets, it could haunt you forever. Although this type of practice is illegal, the (Dutch) legislation is not up to date enough to counter all these new forms of data merchants.

Data trading in itself is not a bad process. It is only the laziness with which we allow our data to be sold by these merchants that makes things difficult. There are always people who push the boundaries of law and ethics. The fact that the government (and you) have little or no information about this often makes trading data questionable.

Problem 2: Automation does not mean error-free

Speaking of the Dutch government; this one has faced the second big problem of algorithms in recent years; mistakes are made by giving free rein to an algorithm and removing human control. The now well-known “benefits case” is the best example of how a digital algorithm can ruin the lives of thousands of people. Without delving into this subject (there is libraries full of books on this complex subject), we can explain it very briefly:

Due to data automation, names have been wrongly “blacklisted” around all sorts of government benefits. Because there was no longer any human control between them, these people were unjustly deeply indebted by a computer and therefore by an algorithm.

Okay, this cost is perhaps a bit too much of an ethical and philosophical issue for this article, but it paints a good picture of how algorithms can have major consequences. Also, there is something like the code bias. This means that everyone is biased in one way or another. The same goes for the authors of the code behind an algorithm. This can have enormous consequences and even lead to racism and discrimination. The movie Coded Bias (to see on Netflix) captures this complex ethical issue very well.

Also your favorite apps on you iPhone use algorithms. Whether it’s TikTok, instagram or the one who looks innocent netflix and Spotify that is, all the apps on your phone automate their content. It gives you the content you want to see and these companies don’t have to hire millions of employees to show you those videos and songs. However, behind this inventive management there is of course also a dark side.

Problem 1 with social media algorithms: polarization

The algorithm behind TikTok or Instagram can have major consequences on user experience and user well-being. One of the biggest dangers of the algorithm behind TikTok and Instagram is that it can lead to “filtered reality” (filtered reality).

Since the algorithm is designed to recommend relevant videos and photos for the user and capture attention, this can lead to a situation where users only see content that matches their interests and preferences. This can lead to a distorted view of reality and a lack of exposure to diverse opinions and perspectives.

In fact, we have already seen many examples of this. Russia, for example, interfered with online polarization via these “social media islands” elections in the United States and Twitter today is far from a safe place for thoughtful discussion.

Problem 2 with social media algorithms: privacy

The algorithm can also lead to a lack of confidentiality. Since the algorithm is designed to track users and learn their interests and preferences, this can lead to a situation where users are overwhelmed with targeted advertisements. This can lead to feelings of discomfort due to users’ lack of privacy. You have probably already experienced this yourself; you talk about (or think about) a certain product all day and then see it pop up on your Instagram timeline.

Problem 3 with social media algorithms: Addiction

One of the biggest changes you’re probably noticing yourself around Instagram and TikTok’s super-efficient algorithm is: addiction. There are an increase in the time spent by users on these platforms. Because the algorithm is designed to recommend videos and photos that are relevant to you and grab attention, this can lead to a situation where you linger more and more on TikTok and Instagram. Of course, this doesn’t have to be the case with you, but it can’t be wrong for some addicted users to have these endless experiences. to feed to limit cat videos as well.

Conclusion: algorithms are good, but there are limits

The algorithms are therefore a priori harmless and can even be useful in many situations. One of the main advantages of algorithms is that they can make fast and accurate decisions. Because they’re designed to automate specific tasks and recognize patterns in large amounts of data.

Although the algorithms are essentially harmless, there are always downsides to consider. It is therefore important that you are aware of all the consequences of using algorithms and that the government takes the right steps to protect us from negative consequences. What do you think of this automation of the world?

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