For years, there have been suspicions that Facebook amplifies misinformation, but a study funded by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and published in Science in 2023, claimed otherwise. The study suggested that Facebook’s algorithms had no major impact on misinformation during the 2020 US election. However, doubts have been raised by a team of researchers led by Chhandak Bagch. They argue that Facebook altered its algorithm during the study, skewing the results. This controversy highlights the problems of big tech funding research into their own products. It also emphasizes the need for independent oversight of social media platforms to prevent manipulation and ensure transparency.
https://theconversation.com/is-big-tech-harming-society-to-find-out-we-need-research-but-its-being-manipulated-by-big-tech-itself-240110