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What we propose to you today is another experiment by the group of Mozilla. You will undoubtedly remember the article Track This, Where Mozilla it allowed you to simulate some identities. In that case the operation was based on Cookies (what are the Cookies?) and by opening hundreds of different links he created a real fake online identity. TheirTube it works in a more or less similar way, let's see together how.
As you probably already know Youtube creates real ones filter bubbles from which it is almost impossible to get out. Down to earth: if you're interested in conspiracy videos today Youtube will offer them to you continuously. The worst thing is that this will lead the user who uses it to the so-called confirmation bias, that is, it will lead them to only look at selective information for confirm what they already think they know.
Youtube and the filter bubble
Attention: on Reddit you have it pointed out that this article might seem somehow intended to pity and/or criticize only deniers. It is important for us to specify that anyone uses YouTube it's his way victim of a bubble. We are mainly talking about the deniers because the project TheirTube is focused, among others, on this category. This is not an article of socio-cultural analysis but a simple presentation of the project TheirTube and the importance of algorithms and filter bubbles.
This is wrong and dangerous in many ways. For example, we will not be able to have a complete vision of the world around us because we will always be alone surrounded by videos that prove us right. Another thing not to be underestimated is that algorithms do not forget. There is nothing wrong with falling into traps and/or conspiracies, we are human beings and we can all make mistakes. Furthermore, it is never too late to understand that you have done or believed something foolish. It's difficult to explain it to though Youtube and its algorithms.
If you've searched for conspiracy videos for a year, they'll come up over and over again. Even if you are struck on the road to Damascus and realize that it was all nonsense, Youtube will continue to offer them to you for a long time. In this way also risking taking you back on the wrong path.
What is TheirTube?
Theirtube it's one of those practical examples which we particularly appreciate. It's a project Open source 1, every day a Browsers simple analyzes Youtube and selects suggested videos based on your preferences 2. Thanks to this project you can see on Theirtube what is the homepage of Youtube of some categories of people:
- Fruitarians: those who feed only on fruit
- Preppers: people preparing for judgment day
- Liberals: liberal political orientation
- Conservatives: conservative political orientation
- Conspiracy theorists: anyone who believes in any type of conspiracy
- Climate change deniers (😭)
It is a really interesting and useful project also for understanding what the feelings and behavior of some people may be. If on my homepage of YouTube I will only have videos that deny climate change I will be led to believe that I am right in thinking so while ignoring all the scientific evidence that actually proves it 3.
It is important because we believe it is not right to demonize people as we all make mistakes in our lives. Help a denier understand that he has ended up in one bubble it is useful to the cause and it is also useful to make them understand that there are algorithms specifically designed to make them believe that the whole world around them thinks that way.
Youtube and Google
Let's also remember that Youtube is owned by Google and that the research is all intertwined with each other. If you search for something via Google you are likely to find it on Youtube too. Considering then that one of the major advertising agencies on the web is Doubleclick 4, always of property of Google, you understand well that the advertisements around you will also be affected by all this.
That's why we suggest looking Youtube incognito or to use alternatives to Youtube like the project Invidious or the project NewPipe on Android.
- Code on GitHub[↩]
- Puppeteer code[↩]
- Fridays For Future Italy[↩]
- The White House wants to sue Google over advertising[↩]
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