"Attention treadmill": Lawmakers grill social media companies over use of algorithms

Lawmakers on Tuesday challenged top policy executives from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to provide more transparency regarding the use of algorithms on the platforms and criticized their business models for relying heavily on user engagement.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Democrats and Republicans raised concerns that algorithms used to create tailored timelines are also pushing users toward extremist content and amplifying false information faster than it can be removed. "Algorithms have great potential for good," said Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska. "They can also be misused and we the American people need to be reflective and thoughtful about that."