Stan Kerr
Stan Kerr
Jul 27, 2017 · 1 min read

Misinformation is somewhat subjective. If someone posts ‘the Earth is flat’, most would call that misinformation. If they post ‘global warming will destroy humanity’, some will call that misinformation, and likewise for ‘global warming is not a great concern’. Some ‘information’ is political, e.g. ‘Obama was a crook’ and can’t be classified objectively. Some is controversial, e.g. ‘homeopathy is better for your health’. Any algorithmic approach to classification is going to reflect the viewpoints and biases of those who program it. My own concern is that algorithms to suppress unpopular views — such as those allegedly used by Facebook to ‘disappear’ conservative news — may become so powerful as to isolate people by rendering invisible anything that conforms to their own values.

    Stan Kerr

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    Stan Kerr