Tag Archives: Underlying

Meta’s algorithms prioritize feeding blank accounts on Facebook and Instagram, revealing underlying sexism and misogyny.

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HTo find out how Facebook and Instagram's algorithms influence what appears in your news feed, Guardian Australia tested them on a completely blank smartphone linked to an unused email address.

Three months later, without any input, it was full of sexist and misogynistic content.

The Guardian Australia's explore page for dummy Instagram accounts set up in April. Photo: Instagram

The John Doe profile was created in April as a typical 24-year-old male. Facebook was able to collect other information about us, such as our phone type and Melbourne location, but because we had opted out of ad tracking, Facebook couldn't know what we did outside the app.

Facebook left me with little to fall back on, with no likes, comments or accounts added as friends, while Instagram requires users to first follow at least five accounts, so I chose popular suggested accounts, such as the Prime Minister and Bec Judd.

Meta says its algorithm ranks content according to people's interests, but we wanted to see what happens in the absence of such input. We scrolled through our feed every two weeks to see what was on offer.

What did we see?

Initially, Facebook showed jokes about The Office and other sitcom-related memes alongside posts from 7 News, the Daily Mail and Ladbible. The next day, it also started showing Star Wars memes and gym and “dudebro” style content.

By the third day, “traditional Catholic” type memes started appearing and the feed veered towards more sexist content.

Three months later, memes from The Office, Star Wars, and The Boys are still appearing in the feed, now interspersed with extremely sexist and misogynistic imagery that appears in the feed with no input from the user.

On Instagram, the explore page is filled with women in skimpy outfits, but the feed is largely innocuous, mostly Melbourne-related content and foodie influencer recommendations.

An example of a misogynistic meme shoved into the feed of a blank Facebook account. Photo: Facebook

Source: www.theguardian.com

Researchers have pinpointed the underlying cause of lupus, scientists report

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Researchers from Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have discovered the underlying cause of lupus, shedding light on a key mystery behind one of the most common autoimmune diseases affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the United States.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, points to an abnormality in the immune system of lupus patients, providing a clear pathway for how the disease develops.

Dr. Deepak Rao, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explained that the imbalance in the types of T cells that lupus patients make is at the heart of this discovery. By comparing blood samples from lupus patients with healthy individuals, the study revealed that lupus patients have too many T cells involved in damaging healthy cells, and too few T cells involved in repair.

The study also highlighted the role of interferons, proteins that defend the body against pathogens. Too much type I interferon in lupus patients can lead to adverse outcomes by blocking a protein called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which helps regulate the body’s response to bacteria and environmental pollutants.

Although the findings offer hope for new treatments, experts caution that more research is needed to fully understand the complexities of lupus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 200,000 in the United States have lupus, with as many as 1.5 million affected individuals.

Common symptoms of lupus include extreme fatigue, joint pain, and skin rashes. In severe cases, lupus can cause kidney or heart damage, as well as a weakened immune system that increases susceptibility to infections.

The research suggests potential new treatments, such as drugs that target interferon or activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, but challenges remain in finding effective and safe ways to administer these treatments.

While the study provides valuable insights into lupus, researchers emphasize the need for further investigation and clinical trials to develop personalized treatment options for individuals with this complex autoimmune disease.

Source: www.nbcnews.com