Making sense of algorithmic profiling: user perceptions on Facebook

Information Communication & Society, vol. 26, pp. 809–825

Abstract

Algorithmic profiling has become increasingly prevalent in many social fields and practices, including finance, marketing, law, cultural consumption and production, and social engagement. Although researchers have begun to investigate algorithmic profiling from various perspectives, socio-technical studies of algorithmic profiling that consider users’ everyday perceptions are still scarce. In this article, we expand upon existing user-centered research and focus on people’s awareness and imaginaries of algorithmic profiling, specifically in the context of social media and targeted advertising. We conducted an online survey geared toward understanding how Facebook users react to and make sense of algorithmic profiling when it is made visible. The methodology relied on qualitative accounts as well as quantitative data from 292 Facebook users in the United States and their reactions to their algorithmically inferred ‘Your Interests’ and ‘Your Categories’ sections on Facebook. The results illustrate a broad set of reactions and rationales to Facebook’s (public-facing) algorithmic profiling, ranging from shock and surprise, to accounts of how superficial – and in some cases, inaccurate – the profiles were. Taken together with the increasing reliance on Facebook as critical social infrastructure, our study highlights a sense of algorithmic disillusionment requiring further research.

Authors 5

1. Moritz Büchi

   University of Zurich

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Zurich

   Department of Communication and Media Research, Digital Society Initiative, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

2. Eduard Fosch‐Villaronga corresponding Aachen eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University

   eLaw- Center for Law and Digital Technologies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

3. Christoph Lutz

   BI Norwegian Business School

   Affiliation as printed

   Nordic Centre for Internet and Society, BI Norwegian Business School

   Department of Communication and Culture, Nordic Centre for Internet and Society, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway

4. Aurelia Tamò‐Larrieux

   University of St.Gallen

   Affiliation as printed

   University of St. Gallen

   Institute for Work and Employment Research (FAA), University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzlerand

5. Shruthi Velidi
   Affiliation as printed

   Independent Researcher

   Independent Researcher, New York, USA