The Filter Bubble

In late 2009, Google began customizing search results for each user. Instead of giving you the most broadly popular result, Google now tries to predict what you are most likely to click on.

Facebook - fast becoming one of the world's primary news sources - prioritizes the links that it believes will appeal to you. If you are a climate change denier, you can expect to see only links to news articles that debunk global warming. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, companies are tracking your every click and gathering your personal information. Welcome to the world of internet personalization. Say hello to advertising bombardments and isolated viewpoints. Say goodbye to objective news, the free exchange of ideas, and unexpected encounters that spark creativity.

In The Filter Bubble, Eli Pariser uncovers how this hidden personalised web threatens to control how we consume and share information as a society - and shows what we can do about it.