Does Social Media Algorithm Impact Political Beliefs? Research Finds Limited Impact

Four new studies complicate the narrative around abolishing algorithms on Meta Platforms, Inc META Facebook, and Instagram to prevent misinformation and political division.

The research studies from multiple institutions found that removing some algorithm functions had no measurable effects on people's political beliefs, the New York Times reports.

However, political news consumption on the platforms was highly segregated by ideology, with false news articles drawing more conservative readers during the 2020 election.

The research, published in Science and Nature, offers a nuanced understanding of social media's impact but raises questions about its role in shaping discourse.

The studies are unique as they collaborated with Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) and included many users, unlike previous research based on publicly available data.

Lawmakers have previously flagged social media algorithm concerns, but the studies highlight the complex nature of social media's effects with no straightforward solutions.

Meta spent $20 million on the research, which has faced criticism for its direct participation in providing data and conducting experiments.

Despite the findings, researchers hope the papers will lead to more comprehensive work in the field, and policymakers may take action to support such research in the future.

It is noteworthy that previous research had suggested that Instagram connected pedophiles and guided them to content sellers via recommendation systems.

The researchers found that Instagram has enabled people to search explicit hashtags and connect them to accounts that used the terms to advertise child-sex material for sale. 

Price Action: META shares traded higher by 2.57% at $319.84 on the last check Friday.

Photo by Tumisu from Pixaby

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.