Campus colleagues,

As we prepare for the upcoming academic year and are engaged in research, it is important to remember that filter bubbles, also referred to as information bubbles and echo chambers, affect the results of our online searches.

Filter bubbles occur when your search engine uses algorithms to “curate” your results, promoting results that are in line with your browsing history, past click behavior, and personal preferences. This “personalization” of search results is intended to provide you with the most relevant information possible. However, it can create biases and distortions by prioritizing information in which you have previously expressed interest. And as AI becomes more prevalent in technology platforms, the risk of filter bubbles is likely to increase.

There are a couple things you can do to minimize filter bubbles. Regularly clearing your browsing data (history, cookies, cache, etc.) can help pop the bubble (see Sophos’ article for links to browser-specific instructions on clearing data). Also using different browsers if you have the ability to do so may help. Finally, some experts suggest browsing in “private” or “incognito” mode, which prevents the browser from storing information which could be used to create filter bubbles.

While the personalization of online content resulting from digital tracking provides convenience and may lead to improved productivity, there are concerns about data privacy. The storage of user data increases the risk that unauthorized parties could gain access to that data and use it for identity theft or fraud. Please read my recent data privacy post for more information about privacy.

If you would like to learn a little more about filter bubbles, there is a great 9-minute TED Talk by Eli Pariser from 2011 which focuses on filter bubbles and is still relevant today.

Thank you Jeff Japp from our Project Management Office for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,

Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University