In the linked article, Lauren talks about how google maps influences the restaurants and businesses that we see by promoting or deprioritizing locations based on hidden factors that we can’t see. Businesses can pay for higher visibility, and we never know. There’s a cycle of more people visiting more popular businesses, leaving more reviews, and those reviews encouraging google maps to show the business over others. The less popular or newer business don’t get promoted, never get the reviews, and aren’t shown on the map for others to see.
It makes me think about what other hidden algorithms or bias’ exist in other mediums. There’s the easy example of social media where we’re shown what the algorithm “thinks” we want to see, and that becomes our online reality. We’re not often shown new topics, or posts from people with differing opinions.
I want to intentionally think about what other hidden bias’ I might in the apps and online sources that I consume. Is there a difference in what businesses and restaurants are shown between google maps, apple maps, or a different map system? Is the benefit of a more neutral system worth the ease of use downside of a less mainstream app?