Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ex-Google employee: Big Tech's biz model is 'a society that is addicted, outraged, polarized'

Ex-Google employee: Big Tech's biz model is 'a society that is addicted, outraged, polarized'

Algorithms and addiction were the focus of tech testimony on Capitol Hill

Ex-Google employee and Big Tech critic Tristan Harris on Tuesday said the business model of big social media companies "is to create a society that is addicted, outraged, [and] polarized," among other things.

Harris, co-founder and president of the nonprofit Center for Humane Technology, told the Senate Judiciary Committee during a Tuesday hearing on social media algorithms that companies like Google's YouTube and Facebook are profiting off of users' addiction to their platforms.

"It's almost like having the heads of Exxon, BP and Shell asking about, 'What are you doing to responsibly stop climate change?’" Harris said of social media companies' incentives for employees to increase user engagement on their platforms. "Their business model is to create a society that is addicted, outraged, polarized, performative and disinformed. That's just the fundamentals of how it works."

Harris added that experts want to "celebrate" companies' efforts to prevent "major harm" online, "they're trapped in something they can't change."

His response came after Democratic Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, chair of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, asked Harris about his "understanding" of incentives for "employees and how it aligns with responsible growth versus growth at all costs."

"My understanding is, even to this day, there was a brief experimentation at Facebook with non-engagement-based performance incentives for social impact but that those have largely gone away and it's actually still a measure of engagement…things like not time on site but sessions, seven-day active users, growth, and that is still the focus," Harris said.

Facebook pointed FOX Business to an October statement saying its "News Feed product teams are not incentivized to build features that increase time-spent on our products" and the company instead wants to ensure it offers "value to people, not just drive usage."

Ranking member Sen. Ben Sasse, R-N.C., further pressed representatives from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube on whether their business models promote addiction.

Facebook Vice President for Content Policy Monika Bickert said that in January of 2018, Facebook announced that it would be prioritizing content from users' families and friends over news stories on its News Feed feature.

"We suspected that it would lead to less time on the service, and it did. It led to people spending tens of millions of fewer hours on Facebook every day, but that was something that we did because we thought that longer-term, it was more important for people to see that sort of content because people would find it meaningful and they would want to continue to use the site," Bickert said, adding that it is a "long-term picture" for the company.

Sen. Ben Sasse during an April 27, 2020, hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law


Twitter Head Of U.S. Public Policy Lauren Culbertson told Sasse that Twitter "has a ranking algorithm…designed to show you what might be most relevant to you," which can help users see what they want to see and log off without spending too much time on the site.

Sasse pushed back against Culbertson's comments, asking whether Twitter "capitalizes" on the "short-term rage" that draws users into arguments online. Culbertson responded by saying "connection and connectivity is a key to solving problems," which is what Twitter "does."

Alexandra Veitch, YouTube's government affairs and public policy director for the Americas and emerging markets, detailed the video service's features such as "timers" – a feature for users to turn off autoplay – and "reminders" for users to take breaks of which the company has "sent over a billion."

An estimated 5 to 10% of Americans have a social media addiction, which rewards the brain in a way that is comparable to other addictive substances rewarding the brain and causing dopamine levels to rise, according to the Addiction Center.

Tech experts including Harris and Harvard University researcher Joan Donovan argued Tuesday that algorithms meant to push relevant content to users may harm users who only follow certain people or engage in certain posts that promote violence or misinformation.

"We didn’t build airports overnight, but tech companies are flying the planes with nowhere to land," Donovan said. "The cost of doing nothing is nothing short of democracy’s end."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×