Ethical Implications of the Use of Data: YouTube's Algorithmic Reports
OVERVIEW
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with the ethical implications of the use of data as it related to this course. You must also demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively in writing with your audience.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Submit a 3-page analysis of an article that cites an example of unethical behavior as related to corporate or an individual’s behavior in the use of technology/data or unethical manipulation of such. Your analysis should include a summary of the article, your analysis of the ethical problem presented in the article, and how the topic relates to a biblical world view. The ethical problem should be clearly stated. Do not assume that your summary makes the ethical problem self-evident.
2. Article Selection: It is recommended that you choose a topic that is related to your major; however, the topic must incorporate technology. This should be a specific event, not an article such as “Five Ways Companies are Unethical with Data.” Such an article may be a good starting place but will not be sufficient for this assignment. The article will be current - from within the past 3 years. You can likely find an example from as recent as this week/month. As this may be a news article, be sure that you are using a valid source of news. You should find multiple sources reporting the same information to ensure that your assessment of the reporting is accurate. Feel free to cite from these additional sources as well as your main article.
3. Biblical Worldview: You will include at least two biblical references in your analysis.
4. Use APA format, including in-text citations and a reference page.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Article Review
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Summary of the Article
The summarized article was "YouTube's recommendations still push harmful videos, crowdsourced study finds." According to a report by the Mozilla Foundation, YouTube's recommendation algorithm suggests videos that go against the company's policies, including misinformation, violence, and hate speech. According to NBC News (2021), the investigation involved over 37,000 YouTube users reporting harmful content through a browser extension. Research assistants from the University of Exeter did the analysis. The analysis revealed You tube's algorithm recommended most of the reports. These algorithmic reports had a significantly higher chance of being reported compared to organic searchers (NBC News, 2021). It is also surprising that reported videos had at least 70% more chance of being viewed compared to other videos watched by volunteers. (NBC News, 2021).
The report sheds light on YouTube's recommendation system, which has faced criticism for promoting harmful/ extreme content. There are still glaring concerns, albeit the company has made some changes to the algorithm. The research was based on a subset of "regrettable" videos from July 2020 to May, providing a glimpse into YouTube's opaque recommendation machine. Non-English-speaking videos were more likely to be amplified and evade moderation, with higher rates of harmful videos in non-English languages (NBC News, 2021).
The harmful views resulting from the algorithmic recommendation are phenomenal since they are in millions daily. However, the report highlights the limited information about YouTube's recommendation algorithm, which drives 70% of user-watched content. The research recommends solutions such as updating data settings, increased transparency from platforms regarding recommendation algorithms through published reports, and regulatory actions for enhanced oversight.
Analysis
The ethical problem presented in the article revolves around YouTube's recommendation algorithm promoting harmful and policy-violating content. The algorithm's tendency to push users towards extreme and objectionable videos raises concerns about the platform's responsibility in curating content and ensuring user safety. The article highlights several ethical dimensions discussed below.
One of the issues highlighted is user safety. YouTube's algorithm influences what users watch, potentially exposing them to misinformation, violence, hate speech, and explicit content. This issue compromises user safety and can contribute to the spread of ideologies that are harmful. The second ethical issue of concern is a lack of transparency: The recommendation algorithm by YouTube operates opaquely, with limited public knowledge about its workings. This grave lack of tr...