{"id":169822,"date":"2021-02-03T18:13:20","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T15:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/amazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2021-02-03T18:13:20","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T15:13:20","slug":"amazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/amazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"#Amazon\u2019s search algorithm spreads vaccine disinformation, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29890d412e0\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29890d412e0\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/amazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds\/#An_echo_chamber_effect\" >An echo chamber effect<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Amazon\u2019s search algorithm spreads vaccine disinformation, study finds<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                                Amazon\u2019s reputation for spreading health misinformation has led critics to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/amazon-and-the-spread-of-health-misinformation\/\">call it<\/a> \u201ca dystopian bookstore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their\u00a0concerns have escalated since\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0unleashed a wave of anti-vaccination zealots.<\/p>\n<p>According to a new study from the University of Washington, the world\u2019s leading online retailer is amplifying the hysteria.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers found that Amazon\u2019s search algorithm promotes books endorsing false claims about vaccines over those that debunk them.<\/p>\n<p>They also discovered a filter-bubble\u00a0effect that leads\u00a0users who engage with misinformative products to be recommended more of the same.<\/p>\n<p>The study describes Amazon\u2019s search results as \u201ca marketplace of multifaceted health misinformation\u201d and the platform\u2019s recommendations as \u201cproblematic echo chambers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>[Read:\u00a0<span>How much does it cost to buy, own, and run an EV? It\u2019s not as much as you think<\/span>]<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The researchers\u00a0first investigated the amount of\u00a0misinformation returned by Amazon\u2019s\u00a0algorithms.<\/p>\n<p>They tested a list of 48 search queries about 10 popular vaccine-related topics, such as \u201cHPV\u00a0vaccine\u201d and \u201cimmunization,\u201d without logging into the platform.<\/p>\n<p>The results were then annotated as promoting, neutral, or debunking\u00a0health misinformation.<\/p>\n<p>They found that\u00a0products promoting misinformation consistently outperformed those that debunk false claims.<\/p>\n<p>Study authors\u00a0Prerna Juneja and Tanu Mitra said over 10% of the results\u00a0they received promoted\u00a0misinformation health products.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_echo_chamber_effect\"><\/span>An echo chamber effect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The researchers also examined whether Amazon pushes users to more misinformation after they\u2019ve shown an interest in it.<\/p>\n<p>They did this by\u00a0performing typical user actions, such as\u00a0clicking on an item.<\/p>\n<p>They said this revealed evidence of a filter-bubble effect in Amazon\u2019s recommendations:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Just a single click on an anti-vaccine book could fill your homepage with several other similar anti-vaccine\u00a0books. And if you proceed to add that book\u00a0[to] your cart, Amazon again presents more anti-vaccine books,\u00a0nudging you to purchase even more problematic content.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The study authors describe this process as \u201d a problematic recommendation loop.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1337384 lazy\" alt=\"Figure 1: (a) Amazon homepage recommendations. (b) Pre-purchase recommendations displayed to users after adding a product to cart. (c) Product page recommendations.\" width=\"1640\" height=\"697\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21.png\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21-280x119.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21-540x230.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21-270x115.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21-796x338.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Screenshot-2021-02-03-at-12.42.21-1592x677.png 1592w\"\/><figcaption>Credit: Prerna Juneja and Tanu Mitra<\/figcaption><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/neural\/2021\/02\/03\/amazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fneural%2F2021%2F02%2F03%2Famazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: From left to right:\u00a0Amazon homepage recommendations;, pre-purchase recommendations displayed to users after adding a product to cart; product page recommendations.\" data-title=\"Share From left to right:\u00a0Amazon homepage recommendations;, pre-purchase recommendations displayed to users after adding a product to cart; product page recommendations. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share From left to right:\u00a0Amazon homepage recommendations;, pre-purchase recommendations displayed to users after adding a product to cart; product page recommendations. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>From left to right:\u00a0Amazon homepage recommendations;, pre-purchase recommendations displayed to users after adding a product to cart; product page recommendations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The researchers suggest several ways that\u00a0Amazon can tackle the problem:\u00a0display informative links alongside the product listings, introduce\u00a0bias indicators, and modify its algorithms and policies to stop promoting misinformative books.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is an urgent need for the platform to treat vaccine and other health-related\u00a0topics differently and ensure high-quality\u00a0searches and recommendations,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p>You can read\u00a0<span>their full\u00a0study paper\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2101.08419.pdf\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-post-pubDate\">\n                                    Published February 3, 2021 \u2014 15:13 UTC<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script data-src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=378011798897423&amp;version=v2.6\" id=\"socialSrcFacebook\" type=\"text\/template\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/neural\/2021\/02\/03\/amazons-search-algorithm-spreads-vaccine-disinformation-study-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Amazon\u2019s search algorithm spreads vaccine disinformation, study finds&#8221; Amazon\u2019s reputation for spreading health misinformation has led critics to call it \u201ca dystopian bookstore.\u201d Their\u00a0concerns have escalated since\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0unleashed a wave of anti-vaccination zealots. According to a new study from the University of Washington, the world\u2019s leading online retailer is amplifying the hysteria. The researchers found that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":169823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/neural?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/02\/Untitled-design-2021-02-03T151210.111.png&signature=8907657d15a30e0b934a28c02e7f5f79","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}