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Algorithms of oppression : how search engines reinforce racism / Safiya Umoja Noble.

by Noble, Safiya Umoja.

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New York University Press, 2018.

025.04252 N752a

Search engines -- Sociological aspects.

Discrimination.

9781479837243 (pbk.)

9781479849949 (hc.)

xv, 229 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-217) and index.

Acknowledgments -- Introduction: the power of algorithms -- A society, searching -- Searching for Black girls -- Searching for people and communities -- Searching for protections from search engines -- The future of knowledge in the public -- The future of information culture -- Conclusion: algorithms of oppression -- Epilogue -- Notes -- References -- Index -- About the author.

How negative biases against women of color are embedded in search engine results and algorithms. Run a Google search for "black girls"-what will you find? "Big Booty" and other sexually explicit terms are likely to come up as top search terms. But, if you type in "white girls," the results are radically different. The suggested porn sites and un-moderated discussions about "why black women are so sassy" or "why black women are so angry" presents a disturbing portrait of black womanhood in modern society. Safiya Umoja Noble challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities. Data discrimination is a real social problem; Noble argues that the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color. Through an analysis of textual and media searches as well as extensive research on paid online advertising, Noble exposes a culture of racism and sexism in the way discoverability is created online. Safiya Umoja Noble is an assistant professor at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School of Communication.

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