[pigeonhole123]

Is Mercedes liable if I run over someone on purpose in a car they made?

[leereeves]

That's a poor comparison to this case.

Would Mercedes be liable if the car (i.e. the algorithm) decided to run over someone?

[int3]

Does the algorithm "decide" to show something, or is it operating mechanically, driven by the inputs of the user?

[leereeves]

If it is operating mechanically, then it is following a process chosen by the developers who wrote the code. They work for the company, so the consequences are still the company's responsibility.

[int3]

The car is following a process chosen by Mercedes' engineers (to go forward when the user presses the accelerator.) The newsfeed is likewise following a mechanistic process driven by user input (they wouldn't be showing misinformation if users weren't uploading and sharing them.)

[ang_cire]

If the Mercedes infotainment screen had shown you a curated recommendation that you run them over, prior to you doing so, they very possibly would (and should).