Could Decentralising Recommendation Algorithms Save The Internet? (Maybe, But…)

Is it possible to re-empower platform users?

Adapted from a photo by Clint Adair on Unsplash

When we talk about recommendation algorithms, it’s easy to think of some invisible force choosing what’s next on our feeds or playlists. And while there’s no denying that recommendation algorithms make life easier (hello, endless scroll), they can sometimes create bubbles, where big names get bigger and small voices stay hidden in the shadows.

But what if we turned this on its head?

What if instead of letting the big giants of the net choose what’s good, and what you’d like to watch/buy now, we brought back the people and went for more decentralised systems?

Instead of one central algorithm calling the shots, imagine a world where communities and individuals have more control over their own feeds. A world where those recommendation algorithms could be beneficial to creators, users, and to the overall experience of discovering content online.

Spoiler: It’s no walk in the park, but it might just be worth a try…

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The problem with centralised algorithms