End the Algorithm

While it may seem like Washington D.C. is doomed to perpetual gridlock, there are a few issues left in the world that haven't yet become partisan battlegrounds.

One of them, and I say this without hyperbole, may just be one of the most important pieces of legislation in our generation.

And, of course, it involves TikTik.

Not just TikTok, but every major social media platform out there.

The "Filter Bubble Transparency Act" would "require internet platforms to give users the option to engage with that platform without being manipulated by algorithms driven by user-specific data."

Versions of this bill are making their way through both the House and the Senate with bi-partisan support.

The bill, exempting companies that make under $50,000,000 a year, is transparently targeted at the major social media giants that have become the primary curators of media for a sizeable portion of the population.

Algorithms have been plaguing social media and similar web services for years now. They are why your Facebook feed shows you a completely different set of posts every time you refresh it on your phone. They are why the top tweet on your Twitter feed may be days older than the next. They are why your favorite YouTubers have been forced to adapt their content with clickbait titles and thumbnails to ensure that their videos are seen, even by their own subscribers.

All of these services use algorithms to curate and promote content to their users, in effect deciding what you want to see before you see it.

This is endlessly frustrating for somebody like me, who would much rather their content be delivered in the order it originated.

It wasn't always this way. Facebook, for instance, used to simply show all the posts in your feed in chronological order. In a right and just world, that would still be the case. (If you're one of the dinosaurs like me that actually still uses a PC, you can download the "FBP" Chrome extension to force your timeline in chronological order. As it should be.)

Instead, Facebook and their peers have gradually forced users away from chronological timelines in favor of "top content."

Sure, you might be able to activate a "most recent" filter on your page to temporarily restore your timeline to its proper order but those features are, by design, made to reset after a set amount of time, turning your quest for a chronological timeline into a Sisyphean task.

In fact, I just checked my phone and I can't figure out how to set my Facebook timeline to "most recent" at all.

Why make thing so difficult?

I used to simply assume it was just part of the Silicone Valley's never ending campaign of personally aggravating me through nonsensical UI changes. However, it seems that it may not be about me at all.

Instead, years of studies have shown that algorithm based feeds encourage more engagement. It keeps users scrolling, gets them interacting more, and ultimately returning to the platform.

All of these things are great for platforms where their bottom line depends on squeezing out every last drop of engagement out of their users.

Unfortunately, as has been made abundantly clear over the last few years, these algorithms have been catastrophic for society in general.

It used to be that a lie could make it halfway around the world before the truth could get its pants on. Nowadays, the lies are doing laps around the globe faster than the facts can possibly keep up. They're aided by social media feeds designed to prop up the most outrageous content and protected by the selective reality bubbles users create for themselves.

It's difficult to believe that the most outlandish nonsense of modern times could have become so rooted in the national conversation were it not for social media companies spreading misinformation unchecked through the echo chambers.

Allowing users to opt-out of the algorithm wouldn't necessarily solve this issue, but it would go a long way towards leveling the playing field between facts and fiction. Without Facebook pushing the spicy new imaginary outrage in front of every eyeball too ill-equipped in media literacy to recognize it for the misinformation it is, such things would have a harder time gaining traction. They'd have to do it the hard way. People would have to go looking for it and put effort into spreading it.

If this bill makes it through the legislative system and passed into law, it could turn the tide against misinformation and help heal a divided nation.

And, more importantly, I'd hopefully get my chronological feeds back.

Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and is perfectly capable of finding the content he wants without the help of an algorithm.