Meta · BBC Technology
Toxic algorithms wouldn't let them go - now Australia wants an off switch
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Warning: This article contains an account of living with an eating disorder.
Key facts
- Varsha Yajman was already self-conscious about the way she looked when she joined social media as a 13-year-old
- Self-proclaimed misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and other manosphere figures started overwhelming the then-20-year-old's social media feeds about four years ago
- The EU's attempt at introducing algorithm controls in 2023, after which platforms rolled out following-only feeds, is a cautionary tale
- Platforms do what the law orders, but in such a clunky way that users don't enjoy the option and stick with the default, algorithmic experience," researcher Chris Zomer, from the ARC Centre
Summary
Varsha Yajman was already self-conscious about the way she looked when she joined social media as a 13-year-old. Endless workout videos making impossible promises filled her feeds. Every night as she fell asleep, Varsha would watch a stranger on the internet diarising what they'd consumed that day. "I was like, 'I don't need to eat. "The reporter would find that the reporter would be down these deep rabbit holes. it was like no matter how hard you tried to get out, you couldn't.