How Iran’s internet blackout is affecting your social media feed

Iran’s internet blackout is impacting news algorithms and our social media feeds, an internet watchdog has warned. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Alp Toker, founder of NetBlocks explains how the internet shutdown in Iran is not just causing local disruption. “Algorithms on  social media platforms and other online areas are really designed to work when there's a free flow of information. When there is a void or an information vacuum from a certain area, the algorithm still has to satisfy its constraints”, Toker says. “That content is no longer what the user actually expected or wanted. It's now less relevant information, potentially even misleading or disinformation or misinformation that's going from irrelevant sources or those trying to alter the narrative.” “This  applies to all platforms. News gathering platforms and some news sites even use similar algorithms to keep their engagement high,” he added.