YouTube showing election-fraud videos to users skeptical about 2020 US polls – Times Now

FILE PHOTO: Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoYouTube is showing more election-fraud videos to users already skeptical about the legitimacy of the 2020 US presidential election, a study has revealed, showing how its algorithms perpetuate existing misperceptions.The study, published in the Journal of Online Trust and Safety, found that those most skeptical of the election’s legitimacy were shown three times as many election-fraud-related videos as were the least skeptical participants — roughly eight additional recommendations out of approximately 400 videos suggested to each study participant.The findings expose the consequences of a recommendation system that provides users with the content they want.”For those most concerned about possible election fraud, showing them related content provided a mechanism by which misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracies can find their way to those most likely to believe them,” said the authors of the study.Importantly, these patterns reflect the independent influence of the algorithm on what real users are shown while using the platform.”Our findings uncover the detrimental consequences of recommendation algorithms and cast doubt on the view that online information environments are solely…
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