Brainwashing on the Web

The Internet (or Web) currently has two main functions. The first function is as an information delivery platform. A classic example of this function is Wikipedia. The early Internet was mostly an information delivery platform. Users chose what to consume by subscribing to feeds or newsletters or by bookmarking their favourite websites.

The second function is as an application delivery platform. A javascript application is sent from the server to your browser and the browser executes it. It may present information, but the application controls your information consumption. Algorithmic feeds provided by Facebook or YouTube are the canonical examples. Most content that people consume are chosen by propreitary algorithms. These algorithms recommend content to maximize engagement and thereby their profits. You pay with your attention so that Meta and Alphabet, the companies behind Facebook and YouTube, can afford to host enormous amount of data.

Algorithmic feeds has led to negative effects such as deteriorating mental health and amplification of disinformation. Perhaps the most harmful effect has been surveillance capitalism. Social media was supposed to democratize information from conventional media such as newspapers. However, a few private companies can still dictate the voices that can be heard. In fact, private companies can now personalize the flow of information to better influence politics. For example, a company can find out the answer to the question ”Who should be in the government so that we can maximize our profits?“ using available data and then control the flow of information to make the outcome desirable to them highly likely. Since a politician's primary job is to win elections, they may also adapt themselves so that they are the primary choice of the private companies in control.

How can we detect whether we are being brainwashed? This requires reflection. Everyone has their biases. The first step would be to identify those. Is the feed reinforcing a bias by feeding us articles that support one viewpoint? Is the amount of time spent on social media more than that spent in real social life? Is the amount of time spent on social media increasing steadily? Is more content on your social media non-personal than personal? If the answer to one or more of these questions is yes, then we are being brainwashed.

To escape brainwashing, we have to take actions on a personal and a collective level. On a personal level, we should limit time spent on social media and maintain good sleep hygeine. Collectively, the companies who collect data should be held accountable by requiring minimization of collected data and restricting the scope of usage of collected data. For example, if my address or phone number is collected to ship a package, it should not be sold to or shared with a marketing company to sell me more products. It also should not be allowed to aggregate addresses along with the corresponding products delivered to infer, say, the political bias of regions. The legislation GDPR is a good start. However, it does not restrict the usage of anonymized, aggregated data.