Social network structure, not algorithmic ranking, decides crosscutting exposure

Evidence

Still, Bakshy and colleagues argue that in contrast to some ‘Brave New World’ visions of the future of the internet (such as the ‘personalized democracy’ Cass Sunstein has warned about), the single most important determinant of anyone’s potential to be exposed to views from the other side on Facebook is simply the structure of their own social network, rather than the algorithmic filtering of your newsfeed. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 423

Categorization

• QUESTION: This claim was hotly contested after publication (e.g., the 2023 Science exchange reanalyzing Bakshy’s data to claim algorithm effects were understated) — worth chasing which side the evidence now favors.
• XREF: connects to: Facebook’s newsfeed ranking tailors content exposure to each user’s predicted engagement — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 418; Facebook exposure diversity depends primarily on friendship-network structure — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 418; Individual choice shapes news exposure more than algorithmic filtering does — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 421 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Facebook exposure diversity depends primarily on friendship-network structure #corroborates (0.92) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 418
• Individual choice shapes news exposure more than algorithmic filtering does #qualifies (0.75) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 421