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What's in the black box? How algorithmic knowledge promotes corrective and restrictive actions to counter misinformation in the USA, the UK, South Korea and Mexico

What's in the black box? How algorithmic knowledge promotes corrective and restrictive actions to... While there has been a growing call for insights on algorithms given their impact on what people encounter on social media, it remains unknown how enhanced algorithmic knowledge serves as a countermeasure to problematic information flow. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate how algorithmic knowledge predicts people's attitudes and behaviors regarding misinformation through the lens of the third-person effect.Design/methodology/approachFour national surveys in the USA (N = 1,415), the UK (N = 1,435), South Korea (N = 1,798) and Mexico (N = 784) were conducted between April and September 2021. The survey questionnaire measured algorithmic knowledge, perceived influence of misinformation on self and others, intention to take corrective actions, support for government regulation and content moderation. Collected data were analyzed using multigroup SEM.FindingsResults indicate that algorithmic knowledge was associated with presumed influence of misinformation on self and others to different degrees. Presumed media influence on self was a strong predictor of intention to take actions to correct misinformation, while presumed media influence on others was a strong predictor of support for government-led platform regulation and platform-led content moderation. There were nuanced but noteworthy differences in the link between presumed media influence and behavioral responses across the four countries studied.Originality/valueThese findings are relevant for grasping the role of algorithmic knowledge in countering rampant misinformation on social media, as well as for expanding US-centered extant literature by elucidating the distinctive views regarding social media algorithms and misinformation in four countries. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Internet Research Emerald Publishing

What's in the black box? How algorithmic knowledge promotes corrective and restrictive actions to counter misinformation in the USA, the UK, South Korea and Mexico

Chung, Myojung
Internet Research , Volume 33 (5): 19 – Nov 20, 2023
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References (68)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1066-2243
DOI
10.1108/intr-07-2022-0578
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

While there has been a growing call for insights on algorithms given their impact on what people encounter on social media, it remains unknown how enhanced algorithmic knowledge serves as a countermeasure to problematic information flow. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate how algorithmic knowledge predicts people's attitudes and behaviors regarding misinformation through the lens of the third-person effect.Design/methodology/approachFour national surveys in the USA (N = 1,415), the UK (N = 1,435), South Korea (N = 1,798) and Mexico (N = 784) were conducted between April and September 2021. The survey questionnaire measured algorithmic knowledge, perceived influence of misinformation on self and others, intention to take corrective actions, support for government regulation and content moderation. Collected data were analyzed using multigroup SEM.FindingsResults indicate that algorithmic knowledge was associated with presumed influence of misinformation on self and others to different degrees. Presumed media influence on self was a strong predictor of intention to take actions to correct misinformation, while presumed media influence on others was a strong predictor of support for government-led platform regulation and platform-led content moderation. There were nuanced but noteworthy differences in the link between presumed media influence and behavioral responses across the four countries studied.Originality/valueThese findings are relevant for grasping the role of algorithmic knowledge in countering rampant misinformation on social media, as well as for expanding US-centered extant literature by elucidating the distinctive views regarding social media algorithms and misinformation in four countries.

Journal

Internet Research – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 20, 2023

Keywords: Algorithmic knowledge; Misinformation; Third-person effect; Corrective action; Platform regulation; Content moderation

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