[lifeisstillgood]

I think of this as does Twitter / other social media act as a common carrier or not? If twitter just hoses you down with your followed accounts in chronological order then they probably get to be called a common carrier. If not then they are doing some level of curation, choice, publishing and that is "the" algorithm - and yes it might be tweaked to be "better" (good luck defining that) but it always exists.

Whatsapp is I think a common carrier by any sensible definition - and yet look at the anti-social effects ascribed to it - murders in India, right wing election issues in Brazil.

There is no algorithm controlled by whatsapp on who someone adds to their group and shares pro/anti political messages. There is just the real world social graph being imprinted on the technology

And I think this is the problem - people.

Tech does not mindlessly control us, it simply provides us with our bubbles.

I think I am violently agreeing with tim bray.