• Abstract

    “Nothing is organic: everything is programmed” : black box and the myth of algorithmic neutrality on social media

    Published date: 11/12/2025

    Social media plays a central role in contemporary daily life, influencing forms of interaction, the construction of reality, and individual and collective experiences. Behind this dynamic are the algorithms, systems that exercise a subtle but decisive form of power by defining what is seen, valued, or silenced on platforms. However, the way these mechanisms operate remains hidden from public view, making invisible the criteria that shape the circulation of information and the visibility of subjects in the digital environment. With this in mind, this paper questionates the technical neutrality of social media algorithms based on the reflections of D'Andréa (2020) and Van Dijck & Poell (2013). We believe that social media algorithms are not neutral, but rather devices of power that shape visibility, perceptions, and behaviors, transforming human interactions into monetizable data and reinforcing social inequalities. The apparent neutrality of platforms masks practices of control, surveillance, and algorithmic manipulation.

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Revista Brasileira de Tecnologias Sociais

The Brazilian Journal of Social Technologies is a Qualis B1 publication, according to the Qualis Periódicos CAPES 2017-2020 classification.

The Brazilian Journal of Social Technologies aims to disseminate scientific knowledge through a biannual publication, which is characterized by multithematic and interdisciplinary content aimed, preferably, at the dissemination of work developed by the country's Professional Master's Degrees, in the form of products or processes that can be characterized as Social Technologies. Currently the editors are professors Carlos Roberto Praxedes dos Santos (Public Policy Management) and Graziela Liebel (Health and Work Management).

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