Research

Search engines are the primary gateways of information. Despite their critical role in selecting,ranking, and recommending what information is considered most relevant, they do not take into account whether such information is credible or not. There is a growing concern that online platforms whose recommendation systems and search engines are integral components of their eco systems - such as YouTube and social media platforms - have been promoting and recommending misinformative content for certain search topics. In my study, I audit those systems to verify those claims. My audit experiments investigate whether personalization (based on age, gender, geolocation, or user’ actions) contributes in amplifying misinformation.