A study published in the journal PNAS revealed that Facebook had manipulated the news feeds of 689,003 users for one week to test whether emotions spread through social networks. The disclosure prompted widespread criticism over consent and research ethics.
What happened
- During one week in January 2012, some users saw fewer positive posts and others fewer negative posts.
- The researchers found that people exposed to fewer positive posts tended to write fewer positive posts themselves, and vice versa.
- Facebook relied on its data use policy, which mentioned research, rather than seeking informed consent.
- Data protection authorities in Europe, including the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, looked into the study.
Why it mattered
The episode raised public awareness of how platforms use algorithms to shape what people see, and it prompted debate on consent and ethics oversight for research using personal data.
Lessons for organisations
Organisations should be transparent about how they use personal data, especially for research or profiling, and should not rely on broad terms of service for purposes users would not expect. Data protection impact assessments help identify these risks early.
Source: Forbes
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