Amazon’s algorithms promote extremist misinformation, report says


Previous research has shown Amazon’s search algorithms surface conspiracy theories in the results even when search terms are innocuous. A recent University of Washington study, for instance, found that 10.5% of Amazon.com results for the search term 'vaccine' were anti-vaccination books written by conspiracy theorists, including nearly all of the top results. — Sipa USA/TNS

Amazon.com’s search and recommendation algorithms channel customers into consuming increasingly extremist misinformation, according to a new report.

The report, by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, adds to a growing body of research on how digital platforms – including Facebook, YouTube and Amazon – can inadvertently inflame conspiracy theories. Previous reports have highlighted how algorithms surface misinformation in search results and news feeds.

Subscribe now and receive free sooka plan for 1 month. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
algorithms , vaccine misinformation , QAnon

Next In Tech News

PPPDAD0012
Musk's xAI seeks $113 billion valuation in $300 million share sale, FT reports
PPPDAD005
'Forest Blizzard' vs 'Fancy Bear' - cyber companies hope to untangle weird hacker nicknames
PPPKC001
Apple challenges 'unreasonable' EU order to open up to rivals
FW1
Google to spend $500 million revamping compliance in shareholder settlement
FW1
Astronomers fear impact of Musk's Starlink on South Africa mega-telescope observations
PPP  NYK512
Applied Digital and CoreWeave ink 15-year lease worth $7 billion
GGGFRM01
Meta aims to fully automate advertising with AI by 2026, WSJ reports
FW1
Stablecoin issuer Circle targets $7.2 billion valuation in upsized US IPO
PPPDAD003
Digital banking startup Chime targets $11.2 billion valuation in US IPO
FW1
Microsoft to invest $400 million in Switzerland on AI, cloud computing

Others Also Read