Student project: Fighting the Filter Bubble (summer 2012)

Platforms like Google, Facebook, and others use personalization algorithms in order to filter the vast amount of information. As a result, each user only sees what the respective content provider regards as interesting for him or her. On the one hand, such personalization algorithms have proven to be helpful means in order to overcome information overload. Yet, they may narrow the user’s perspective. In his 2011 book “The Filter Bubble”, author Eli Pariser describes these negative effects that may arise from personalization.

This student project aims at investigating the filter bubble and tries to overcome the drawbacks of personalization. By visualizing the filtering effects to the user, he or she should become more aware of the fact that the particular content may be biased. In addition to that, the project aims at developing alternative user interfaces that enable users to avoid the trap of a filter bubble.

Details

• Audience: Angewandte Informatik