https://media.ccc.de/v/35c3-9797-analyze_the_facebook_algorithm_and_reclaim_data_sovereignty

Algorithms define your priorities. Who else besides you can know what you need?

Facebook monopoly is an issue, but looking for replacements it is not enough. We want to develop critical judgment on algorithms, on why data politics matter and educate, raise awareness for a broad audience. With our tool, we enable an individual to collect evidence and see how Facebook's algorithm truly shares their data. Not data about themselves, but the bias of facebook treats data, re-shares certain content over other content. Collectively we can analyze the algorithm, understand Facebooks agendas and show how little agency users have.

As algorithms define what our priorities are, they should be recognized as an extension of our will. We must be able to consciously build our own algorithms, change them whenever we want, and not have to delegate this decision to a commercial entity, with opaque functioning and objectives.

This is the goal of tracking.exposed, a goal that can only be achieved through education. We recognize that not everyone possesses the knowledge and skills to design their own algorithms, and therefore there is the need to create a support community, where algorithms can be shared, compared, improved and criticized. The algorithm is power; it can be a harmful cage or a helpful filter. Only autonomous and informed individuals can decide what is most appropriate for them at a given time.

We also worked on analyzing YouTube algorithm! And others platform should follow; the collaborative observation approach is replicable in every platform which personalizes the results. This talk wants to be accessible for ordinary social media users. We understand that many have to be on these platforms, but at least, we can try to use them without getting used!

Claudio Agosti

https://fahrplan.events.ccc.de/congress/2018/Fahrplan/events/9797.html