Social media algorithms are shrouded in secrecy. We’re trying to change that | News World

Over the past 20 years, social media has transformed how we communicate, share information and form social connections. A federal parliamentary committee is currently trying to come to grips with these changes, and work out what to do about them.

The social media platforms where we spend so much time are powered by algorithms that exercise significant control over what content each user sees. But researchers know little specific detail about how they work, and how users experience them.

This is because social media companies closely guard information about their algorithms and operations. However, in recent weeks my colleagues and I announced a new national infrastructure project to help us find out what they are up to.

Our project, the Australian Internet Observatory, will investigate how social media users interact and the content on their feeds. But the federal government…