this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
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I'm not strictly against personalized recommendations (hence why I said it "can" become manipulative), and you're making some good points. But I do think it's a very dangerous game to be playing.
It almost certainly requires collecting and storing very personal usage data, and it can influence people's mood and behaviour depending on what the algorithm is optimizing for (e.g. showing you stuff that makes you angry or ashamed). For that reason I think it's not just a matter of letting it loose on people. It needs to be very well communicated and explained (e.g. things like "we are showing you this because ..."), so people stay in control of their own actions.
Imo it's a bit like slot machines. Just fine for most people most of the time, but it can drag you down a dark path if you're vulnerable for whatever reason.