To cite this page | Internet Policy Review

APA

Zuiderveen Borgesius, F.J., Trilling, D., Möller, J., Bodó, B., de Vreese, C.H., & Helberger, N. (2016). Should we worry about filter bubbles? Internet Policy Review, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.14763/2016.1.401

American Psychological Association. For more info, see https://www.apastyle.org

Chicago

Zuiderveen Borgesius, Frederik J., Trilling, Damian, Möller, Judith, Bodó, Balázs, de Vreese, Claes H. and Helberger, Natali. 2016. "Should we worry about filter bubbles?". Internet Policy Review 5 (1). DOI: 10.14763/2016.1.401. https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/should-we-worry-about-filter-bubbles.

Chicago Referencing Style. For more info, see https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

Harvard

Zuiderveen Borgesius, Frederik J. (2016). Should we worry about filter bubbles? Internet Policy Review,[online] 5(1). Available at: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/should-we-worry-about-filter-bubbles [Accessed: 7 Sep. 2026].

Harvard Referencing Style

MLA

Zuiderveen Borgesius, Frederik J.. "Should we worry about filter bubbles?". Internet Policy Review 5.1 (2016). Web. 7 Sep. 2026.

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/index.html

Vancouver

Zuiderveen Borgesius FJ, Trilling D, Möller J, Bodó B, de Vreese CH, Helberger N. Should we worry about filter bubbles? Internet Policy Review [Internet]. 2016 [7 September 2026];5(1). Available from: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/should-we-worry-about-filter-bubbles

Vancouver Style. For more info, see https://library.vcc.ca/media/vcc-library/content-assets/documents/VancouverStyleGuide.pdf

This paper examines how algorithmic personalisation shapes electoral perceptions through the filter bubble phenomenon, using a multidimensional measurement tool applied to Romanian Facebook users.

KEYWORDS: Algorithmic personalisation, Filter bubble, Electoral communication, Ideological polarisation, Confirmation bias

Recommendation algorithms potentially amplifying extremist content has become a policy concern in recent years. We conduct a novel empirical experiment on three platforms (YouTube, Reddit, and Gab) to test this phenomenon. We find that YouTube’s “Recommended for you” system does promote extreme content. We synthesise the findings into the policy debate and argue that co-regulation may provide some solutions.

KEYWORDS: Filter bubble, Online radicalisation, Algorithms, Extremism, Regulation

Concepts such as ‘filter bubble’ enjoy considerable popularity in scholarly as well as mainstream debates, but are rarely defined with any rigour. This has led to highly contradictory research findings. This article provides a critical review of the ‘filter bubble’ idea, and concludes that its persistence has served only to distract scholarly attention from far more critical areas of enquiry.

KEYWORDS: Filter bubble, Echo chambers, Social media, Social network, Polarisation

Stefania Milan and Claudio Agosti present the Algorithms Exposed (ALEX) project as well as the browser extension fbtrex.

Internet Policy Review is an open access and peer-reviewed journal on internet regulation.

Scholars, regulators, journalists, activists, and other stakeholders publish in the journal in a variety of formats

Research articles: In-depth scholarly research papers and essays
Concepts: Critical reflections on emerging core concepts of the digital society
Editorials: Contextual or thematic introductions to special issues
Essays: Free-form yet in-depth contentions with issues of academic or social relevance
News: Journalistic reports on events of interest to the Internet Policy Review community
Opinions: Opinion pieces commenting on developments in the realm of internet policy
Open Abstract: Extended abstracts for works in progress that receive public peer review

Published by

Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society Center for Advanced Internet Studies in cooperation with additional partners

Special issue on the topic of
Inclusive by design? Participatory governance and the future of digital public spaces

Full call here

Additional indexing