- [[{3.1b} data voids are gaps in information online]] that can be exploited to promote political propaganda or other “disturbing content”. - by definition, there isn’t a lot of reputable content around a data void’s search query, so media manipulators are able to fill the void themselves. - [[what we think of as algorithmic radicalization is just how most of us surf the web|algorithmic radicalization]] is basically shady SEO. - different types of data void vulnerabilities: - **breaking news** → bad actors capitalize on the immediate confusion around breaking news events. they quickly spread rumors and manipulate conversations on social media, but since high-authority content is published shortly after the event, these voids are “cleaned up naturally”. - **strategic new terms** → new phrases are created to “divert discourse and search traffic” to disinformation. e.g., “crisis actor” or “black on white crime”. they’re meant to be catchy phrases that lure in curious searchers and entice mainstream media to pick them up – thereby legitimizing the terms and driving more traffic to them. - i think over time these become a type of [[dog whistle]]. - **outdated terms** → these data voids happen when new content stops being published around a term *before* users stop looking for it. - **fragmented concepts** → this involves creating distinct terms to separate “manipulated content from more popular content.” - **problematic queries** → people are sometimes looking for disturbing or taboo content. because reputable content creators and publishers aren’t writing about them, reputable information doesn’t surface in search results. - a data void exists → bad actors have an opportunity to capitalize on it → the query is flooded with problematic content. - manipulation can also happen in [[{3.1} the algorithm is a giant system|recommendation systems]], like search suggestions. - part of what we see as algorithmic [[{3.1a} algorithmic amplification, repression, exposure, and inequality|amplification]] is the result of intentional, coordinated manipulation. - boyd [[Making Sense of Data Voids (web clipping)|describes]] data voids as **“a type of sociotechnical exploitation that stems from the entanglement between people, practices, technology, and companies**”.