To Nudge or Not to Nudge: News Recommendation as a Tool to Achieve Online Media Pluralism

Abstract

Recent policy documents propose the use of recommender technology to realise online media pluralism goals. Specifically, they may enable citizens to access a diversity of viewpoints concerning matters of public interest via digital means (“public service recommender systems”). On the basis of Article 10 ECHR, States are arguably required to guarantee such “online access diversity.” At the same time, they must, pursuant to that same provision, at all times ensure that individuals maintain autonomy and freedom of choice as regards whether or not to consume certain content. In that context, this contribution argues that policymakers may consider “nudging” people toward reading diversely through recommendation (libertarian-paternalistic approach). Additionally, it points to the possibility of merely offering users the tools to do so, thereby allowing them to make an (informed) choice as regards whether to use them or not (libertarian approach). The first approach presumably best mitigates chances of selective exposure, whilst the second is more “liberty-preserving.” In either case, States comply with their positive and negative obligations stemming from the freedom to receive information and ideas (without interference by public authority) and the freedom to hold opinions.

Keywords:

• News recommendation
• online access diversity
• public service recommender systems
• Article 10 ECHR
• autonomy
• freedom of choice
• nudging
• required choice

Acknowledgements

For the completion of the present research I extend my gratitude to prof. dr. Eva Lievens (Ghent University), Glen Joris (Ghent University) and Stefaan Vercoutere (Ghent University) for their insights and help.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Excluded from the scope of this paper are: a discussion on how the introduction of public service recommender systems relates to recent initiatives of the European Commission, such as the European democracy action plan, the proposal for a Digital Services act and the proposal for a Digital Markets act; a discussion regarding EU competences in relation to media pluralism.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ghent University under Grant BOFGOA2018000604.