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> People expect them to use a politically neutral algorithm. There is no such thing as a politically neutral algorithm. Algorithms exist to implement decisions
by coliveira 7y ago
> People expect them to use a politically neutral algorithm.
There is no such thing as a politically neutral algorithm. Algorithms exist to implement decisions that have been previously made, and these decisions are political in nature. Neutrality is the name given to people and institutions that support the status quo, and therefore they cannot be viewed as apolitical, even though, for lack of understanding, many believe to be operating outside of politics.
- blotter_paper 7y ago> Neutrality is the name given to people and institutions that support the status quo Strongly disagree. If google censors information relating to Tiananmen Square, that supports the status quo without being neutral. If they don't filter that information out they undermine the status quo while remaining neutral. I could at least understand the position that no censorship can be construed as being politically opposed to censorship, but I don't really think that's the case in all cases; it is simpler to make a tool for finding knowledge in the general case than it is to make a tool that additionally filters that knowledge on ideological grounds.
- coliveira 7y agoChina is not the status quo in the US. Thus, it is very easy for Google to pretend to be neutral regarding political facts occurring there. But even that is not entirely true. The Tiananmen Square events are very important for the narrative of western governments against China, so what appears there has also a political connotation.
- blotter_paper 7y agoIt's an arbitrary example of information which is commonly censored to support the status quo, if you want an example targeted at America we could just as easily use pirated media.