Automated Trouble: The Role of Algorithmic Selection in Harms on Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have become major objects of criticism for reasons such as privacy violations, anticompetitive practices, interference in public elections. Some these problems been associated with algorithms, but the roles that algorithms play emergence different harms not yet systematically explored. This article contributes to closing this research gap an investigation link between on social platforms. Evidence involving was collected from reports academic papers within a two-year timeframe 2018 2019, covering Instagram, Twitter. Harms similar casual mechanisms were grouped together inductively develop typology algorithmic harm based involved their emergence: (1) errors, undesirable, or disturbing selections; (2) manipulation by users achieve outputs harass other disrupt discourse; (3) reinforcement pre-existing inequalities society; (4) enablement harmful practices are opaque discriminatory; (5) strengthening platform power over users, markets, society. Although analysis emphasizes role cause online harms, it also demonstrates do arise application alone. Instead, can be best conceived socio-technical assemblages, composed use design design, commercial interests, context. The concludes reflections possible governance interventions response identified harm. Notably, while errors may fixed themselves, growing calls external oversight.