Computer and Library Learning (Archived)

Eli Pariser, president of MoveOn.org, has a new book coming out entitled The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You . (Toronto Public Library has 24 copies currently on order.) Pariser is concerned about how individuals’ personalization of their internet experiences is placing controls and limits on the access and consumption of information. Consequently, this filtering of the internet places people in an isolated “bubble” in which individuals are only exposed to the familiar and the predictable. Pariser argues not only such filters must be more visible to users but users deserve some control over these filters. Popular websites such as Facebook, Google and Yahoo permit filtering of posts and news content. Facebook relies on users “likes” to filter content while Google can'tap into users’ Gmail, searches and use of other services such as Google Maps. Even when one is not logged into Google, Pariser notes that Google uses 57 “signals” to tailor search results and even makes note of the browser and device types that one uses.

Pariser addressed the 2011 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Long Beach, California in which he spoke to the issue of online “filter bubbles” undermining the democratic process. One can view the video here. KUOW 94.9 FM Public Radio in Seattle, Washington, broadcast a radio program today entitled “Eli Pariser and the Filter Bubble” in which Pariser discussed the isolationism and personalization of the internet. (Click on the links to access Part 1 and Part 2 of the discussion in RealAudio, MP3 Hi or Low formats.) Kirkus Reviews also interviewed Eli Pariser about his book on May 17, 2011.