algorithms

Fake news

Will AI save us from fake news?

Column
Nataliia Vdovychenko
10/12/2021
7 minutes to read

Attempts to decrease the spread of ‘fake news’ might come with the risks of censorship and control.

Flat Earth

Why do people believe in flat Earth?

Article
Nataliia Vdovychenko
25/01/2021
15 minutes to read

The flat Earth belief is pseudoscientific, yet the Internet offers a variety of different arguments on why the official round Earth narrative should be reconsidered.

Netflix artwork

How Netflix suggests what to watch

Paper
Anne Marte Gardenier
15/01/2020
9 minutes to read

This article gives an overview of the way in which Netflix makes use of computational research techniques in their recommendation system and in the production of highly personalized content.

The power of online reviews in decision-making

Article
Nadine Visser
15/01/2020
11 minutes to read

Online reviews are widely used for decision-making in daily life. Reviews of entertainment objects (e.g. films, books) are used as evidence of their quality. In this paper, we discuss the construction of "experts" on cultural knowledge online.

algorithms, alogorithmic public sphere

The algorithmic public sphere and democracy

Paper
Aniek van den Brandt
20/02/2019
12 minutes to read

The public sphere has been controlled by humans for years, but in the last decade, there has been a shift from human gatekeepers to algorithmic ones. This essay describes the consequences this algorithmic culture has for the public sphere.

Click farms as shows in the HBO show 'Silicon Valley'.

A look behind the scenes of click farms

Article
Idhuna Pastoor
11/01/2019
11 minutes to read

Have you heard of click farms? They manipulate the algorithms on social media, and make use of the popularity principle to create visibility online. But are click farms actually a legal business?