Findings led to deeper analysis, says Facebook

The user account created by a Facebook researcher in Kerala two years ago that encountered several instances of hate speech and misinformation on the basis of algorithmic recommendations led the company to undertake a “deeper, more rigorous analysis” of its recommendation systems in India, the social media platform said.

Facebook was responding to queries from The Indian Express on The New York Times report about the effects of the social media platform in India, especially in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.

“This exploratory effort of one hypothetical test account inspired deeper, more rigorous analysis of our recommendation systems, and contributed to product changes to improve them.