Google’s content recommendation algorithm is a black box. Here’s how it decides what to show you

By Olaya López Munuera, PhD en Comunicación y Periodismo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Carlos Lopezosa, Profesor Lector, Universitat de Barcelona

If you’re one of Google Discover’s millions of daily users, you’ve doubtless come across all manner of content without actively searching for it. A Spanish user, for instance, might see headlines promising to reveal the secret recipes of avant-garde chef Ferràn Adrià, what time 46 year-old TV presenter Pilar Rubio goes to bed, the latest unmissable deals from Lidl, or the new car that will allow them to say “adiós” to annual inspections.

We still tend to think of Google as a search engine first and foremost. The iconic search bar on a white background – Alphabet’s flagship product that…

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