[selfmodruntime]

> But there's a detail here that its hard to answer, or at least for some platforms. Given the complexity of some of these algorithms, do the techno lords have that sort of control of deliberate control, or it's just the uncontrolled optimization for a given outcome?

Given that most giant tech-platforms heavily conform to and moderate with a target of left-leaning values, I'd wager that deliberate control does exist.

[RUnconcerned]

> Given that most giant tech-platforms heavily conform to and moderate with a target of left-leaning values, I'd wager that deliberate control does exist.

You and I must have a fundamentally different definition of "left-leaning values".

[selfmodruntime]

> You and I must have a fundamentally different definition of "left-leaning values".

I'm sorry, but DEI committees, forced minority hiring, and continued suppression of right-of-center opinions say different.

I have worked at fortune 500 companies. I have seen their intercompany minority groups. When asked to join, I plainly said that as a typical white guy, there was no group representing me, whatever that even means. You could almost hear the coin fall, but not quite.

You can also look at Ex-Twitter or Reddit for examples of otherthink suppression. The largest German subforum was recently banned because of their immigration-critical (not even anti-immigration) stance.

I'm not even a conservative. It's just that I'm aware of my bubble's inherent bias and that I do not support the progressive-typical suppression of differing opinions in the name of any -isms. Being openly racist is different from criticizing religion or political decisions.

The only reason you don't see techcorps as left-leaning is because you misunderstand the principle of radical capitalism as being inherently conservative.

[tmcb]

Private companies' adoption of affirmative actions is not enforced by law in most countries, I would say. In the U.S., only government contractors have this obligation---since 1965 by the way, so it is not a new thing.

So, companies may opt for it but, as other management decisions, owners are free to do with their company as they like. Of course they will might face backlash from the general public, but this should not be an issue.

So, with all due respect, what the heck are you talking about?

[red-iron-pine]

you're confusing what the company does internally, and what the algorithm does for customers.

cuz for all of the FAANG DEI drama -- entirely overblown, at that; doubly so since many got laid off in 2022-23 -- their algorithms sure are good at getting gamed by right wing actors. they're willing to pay for advertisements, and that's what they run.

[gremlinunderway]

This is such nonsense because you're claiming that these companies are actively imposing these activities in support of "left-leaning values" when there is absolutely nothing genuine with their support for those initiatives.

Companies don't push hamfisted DEI committees and diversity program because there's a leftwing bias, they push it because its good for marketing to have even just the thinnest veneer of supporting these movements (because outside of marketing, they are in fact popular. Having more diversity is a popular stance and has nothing to do with "left-leaning" values if you're actually using the left-right wing spectrum in any meaningful sense to describe a range of Marxism/socialism to capitalism/libertarianism. "Diversity" isn't a core part of either of these wings.

Companies don't practice anything from an ideology that isn't rooted in one simple factor: profit motives and advertising. All the various "*washing" phenomonens are just facsimiles to cover over the rampant racism, sexism and horrible products fo rthe environment. Pretending these are genuine ideologies is completely silly.

[mlrtime]

You are not wrong but will be downvoted on HN which is ironic given the subject.

Perhaps "left leaning" will be scrutinized but it is a spectrum and definitely left of center.

Even me writing this comment may have some risk as postulated by the OPs quote.