The Secrets Of Facebook’s Algorithms

Facebook has relied heavily on their news feed algorithm to determine what users do and don’t see. This algorithm incorporates data about everything you do on Facebook, from private messages to checking your ex’s new profile picture to the amount of time you spend engaging with cat memes or watching videos.

News Feed is at the epicentre of Facebook’s success. Over the past nine years, the product, which was initially controversial, has evolved into the most valuable billboard on Earth—for brands, for publishers, for celebrities and for the rest of us (particularly Gia’s selfies). For years, the News Feed has been fuelled by automated software that tracks each user’s actions to serve them the posts they’re most likely to engage with. That proved successful in helping News Feed generate more revenue for Facebook than any other part of the site. But it’s also led to a growing anxiety about how much Facebook knows, and how the company can use that knowledge to influence what users buy, how they vote to even how they feel.

The end goal for the world’s largest social network isn’t just to guess what you’ll click on when you’re bored. The company wants to show you the things you care about most in your life, both online and off.

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